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The economics of altruism and cooperation in class‐structured populations: what's in a cost? What's in a benefit?
Author(s) -
WILD G.,
TAYLOR P. D.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2006.01120.x
Subject(s) - biology , altruism (biology) , class (philosophy) , neoclassical economics , positive economics , evolutionary biology , economics , epistemology , philosophy
Lehmann & Keller (2006, and hereafter referred to as either ‘the authors’ or L&K) have identified the cost-tobenefit ratio, C/B as being a principal factor in the evolution of altruism and cooperation. The authors argue that this ratio (or some equivalent version) cannot exceed a given threshold if a selective advantage of altruism or cooperation is to exist. Of course, many biologists will readily recognize Hamilton’s (1964) rule as a special case of this result. An actor is willing to pay a cost, C, to give a benefit, B, to a recipient whenever