Social evolution is a subdiscipline of evolutionary biology that is concerned with social behaviours, i.e. those that have fitness consequences for individuals other than the actor. Social behaviours can be categorized according to the fitness consequences they entail for the actor and recipient. A behaviour that increases the direct fitness of the actor is mutually beneficial if the recipient also benefits, and selfish if the recipient suffers a loss. A behaviour that reduces the fitness of the actor is altruistic if the recipient benefits, and spiteful if the recipient suffers a loss. Evolutionary biology is a subfield of biology concerned with the origin and descent of species, as well as their change, multiplication, and diversity over time. ...
This classification was proposed by W. D. Hamilton. It is easy to see how natural selection favours mutually beneficial or selfish behaviours. Hamilton's insight was to show how kin selection could explain altruism and spite. W. D. Hamilton William Donald Bill Hamilton, F.R.S. (1 August 1936 — 7 March 2000) was a British evolutionary biologist, considered one of the greatest evolutionary theorists of the 20th century. ... Kin selection refers to changes in gene frequency across generations that are driven at least in part by interactions between related individuals, and this forms much of the conceptual basis of the theory of social evolution. ... This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... In fair division problems, spite is a phenomenon that occurs when a players value of an allocation decreases when one or more other players valuation increases. ...
This article or section may contain original research or unverified claims. ... Kin selection refers to changes in gene frequency across generations that are driven at least in part by interactions between related individuals, and this forms much of the conceptual basis of the theory of social evolution. ... In fair division problems, spite is a phenomenon that occurs when a players value of an allocation decreases when one or more other players valuation increases. ... Social Darwinism in the most basic form is the idea that biological theories can be extended and applied to the social realm. ...
References
Frank, S.A. (1998). Foundations of social evolution. Princeton University Press, Princeton NJ.[1]
Hamilton, W.D. (1964). The genetical evolution of social behaviour I and II. — Journal of Theoretical Biology7: 1-16 and 17-52.
Social Darwinism, term coined in the late 19th century to describe the idea that humans, like animals and plants, compete in a struggle for existence in which natural selection results in “survival of the fittest.” Social Darwinists base their beliefs on theories of evolution developed by British naturalist Charles Darwin.
The term social Darwinist is applied loosely to anyone who interprets human society primarily in terms of biology, struggle, competition, or natural law (a philosophy based on what are considered the permanent characteristics of human nature).
Social Darwinism characterizes a variety of past and present social policies and theories, from attempts to reduce the power of government to theories exploring the biological causes of human behavior.
From an evolutionary perspective, behaviours are social if they have fitness consequences for both the individual that performs the behaviour (the actor), and another individual (the recipient).
Social behaviours can be categorized according to the fitness consequences they entail for the actor and recipient.
A behaviour that increases the direct fitness of the actor is mutually beneficial if the recipient also benefits, and selfish if the recipient suffers a loss.
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