Toward a theory of genuine altruism in Homo sapiens

Abstract

The paper begins with a brief conceptual analysis of several forms of allegedly altruistic behavior in order to arrive at genuine or ascetic altruism, which is defined and illustrated for Homo sapiens. The explanation of ascetic altruism builds on the work of R. L. Trivers and E. O. Wilson, among others. I argue that the evolution of “reciprocal altruism” favored the selection of voluntary conformity and the need for social approval. In a hierarchically arranged society, such a need was sometimes subject to hypertrophic peaks and became an end in itself, thereby leading relatively large numbers of submissive individuals to exchange units of inclusive fitness for merely symbolic rewards with dominant individuals. Ascetic altruism was further facilitated by the selection of self-deception, which, together with the evolution of the social self, resulted in the cultural evolution of the soul concept. A portion, sometimes overwhelming, of the gene's quest for immortality was, through self-deception, redirected toward the quest for the eternal salvation of the soul. My argument underscores the hypothesis of an interplay between biological and cultural forces and suggests the possibility of ascetic altruism without altruistic genes. Appearances notwithstanding, it also supports the maximization principle but recommends greater flexibility for it by way of a theoretical idealization.