... calls in various birds and mammals. But if organisms really were to execute altruistic roles, they would fail to win the evolutionary race against the ones that do not perform selfless behaviors. The recipients would advance without expenditure and altruists would encounter expenditure without gaining anything. There are many theories that propose that there is an intrinsic advantage for the altruist ... (1964) proposed the "Kin Selection Theory," which concerns the conditions under which genes for social actions spread through populations, and suggests that the traits which direct an i...

• Word Count: 1549
• Approx Pages: 6
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... asking "Is there such a thing as true altruism?" To begin I would like to define what I mean by altruism. One definition of altruism is "selfless concern for the well-being of others" (Concise Oxford English Dictionary, 2002). Altruism is any behaviour that has some benefit to the recipient at some cost ... insects helping others to reproduce and alarm calling amongst many species of birds and mammals. But if animals really were to perform behaviours that were selfless, surely they would lose the evolutionary "race" against those that were not? The selfish recipients would gain without ...

• Word Count: 2061
• Approx Pages: 8
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate

... way related to morality. In reality isn't technology against the morals of the natural world to begin with? But is there even such a thing as a purely selfless act? Sure there are actions that seem selfless, but the reason for doing them is consciously or unconsciously selfish. Evolution is a natural occurrence that one would think is unselfish and completely moral, however in reality ... given, the shaman are doing this because the "scale of a harvest or the size of a hunt are always negotiated between the tribal community and the natural world" (Abram 5). This seemingly selfless act i...

• Word Count: 1526
• Approx Pages: 6

... way related to morality. In reality isn't technology against the morals of the natural world to begin with? But is there even such a thing as a purely selfless act? Sure there are actions that seem selfless, but the reason for doing them is consciously or unconsciously selfish. Evolution is a natural occurrence that one would think is unselfish and completely moral, however in reality ... given, the shaman are doing this because the "scale of a harvest or the size of a hunt are always negotiated between the tribal community and the natural world" (Abram 5). This seemingly selfless act i...

• Word Count: 1526
• Approx Pages: 6

... to influence of the social environment that shapes human conscious. The traits that did evolved in human ancestors, under the influence of culture can be modified to lead to the selfless altruism like dying for one's country. "Our brains are in part the products of natural selection, but we are also shaped by our environments, including our culture", concludes ... ...

• Word Count: 1285
• Approx Pages: 5
• Has Bibliography
• Grade Level: Undergraduate