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"Big misconception about altruism. The key point is that atruism is present in the human animal because it favours propagation of the relevent genes, not necessarily the individual humans. Humans are more altruistic to people who share more genes with them because this helps the genes propagate. Altruism is not done with the purpose of aiding the person being altruitic directly, ie it hasn't evovled as a I help you so you will help me reasons."
trantor, interesting point, it is besides the point of this thread but could you explain this? it seems like both theories (altruism is for reciprocity, and your idea) both make sense and maybe they both work? any evidence that supports one over the other?
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there are many studies showing the degree og altruism is related to the degree of kinship. I'm not aware of any that show any altruism for only personal gain. On the other hand I don't see the two as being mutually exclusive but only the firstmakes sense to me on evolutinaty grounds.
And I believe my post was to the point in trying to show thw altruism he talked about is not altruism as generally understood.
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have you any links to these kinship studies, I've wittered on about a crude form of inverse square law whereby the strength of caring about others depends on their emotional/genetic 'closeness', love to see something more precise.
chez
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I read some reports in nature a while back but all I suggest now is google it..eg
http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:qfgO...nship&hl=en
http://www.nature.com/nature/journal...ature02721.htm
http://72.14.207.104/search?q=cache:yFWk...tives&hl=en
But google will find anyting! "does God really exist?" Yep ...see these googled pages!
[img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img])
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thanks.
chez
I found god on the internet.