Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal cover image

David Sloan Wilson interview on Group Selection, Memes, and Western Values

Theories of Everything with Curt Jaimungal

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Evolution, Morality, and Natural Selection on Multi Levels

Darwin's theory of natural selection initially could not fully explain virtues like altruism and morality, as selfish individuals held an advantage in the struggle for existence. To address this, Darwin proposed a larger scale of natural selection at the group level, where groups of virtuous individuals could outcompete those lacking cohesion. This introduced the concept of group selection where competition occurred not just among individuals within groups but also among groups. Multi-level selection expands on this idea, considering genes within individuals (e.g., cancer cells), organisms within populations, and even groups of groups like ecosystems, showcasing how natural selection operates at various levels in biological systems.

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