For Whose Benefit?: The Biological and Cultural Evolution of Human Cooperation

by Patrik Lindenfors

This book takes the reader on a journey, navigating the enigmatic aspects of cooperation; a journey that starts inside the body and continues via our thoughts to the human super-organism. Cooperation is one of life’s fundamental principles. We are all made of parts – genes, cells, organs, neurons, but also of ideas, or ‘memes’. Our societies too are made of parts – us humans. Is all this cooperation fundamentally the same process?
From the smallest component parts of our bodies and minds to our complicated societies, everywhere cooperation is the organizing principle. Often this cooperation has emerged because the constituting parts have benefited from the interactions, but not seldom the cooperating units appear to lose on the interaction. How then to explain cooperation? How can we understand our intricate societies where we regularly provide small and large favors for people we are unrelated to, know, or even never expect to meet again? Where does the idea come from that it is right to risk one’s life for country, religion or freedom? The answers seem to reside in the two processes that have shaped biological and cultural evolution.

180 pages, Hardcover

Published April 4, 2017

Reviews

[Daniel Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

An instant classic! Provides an eye-opening summary of how cooperation works according to similar principles across all domains of life, from genes to societies. Well-written, soundly reasoned and revelatory in its sweeping overview of the phenomenon of cooperation. I cannot recommend this book enough.

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Back in Ancient Greece, useless thinkers developed skills in correlation. And they liked to compare humans and human society with what they have called Nature. If they like it: it is natural, see this and that animal. If they do not like it: it is un-natural and, obviously no animal, but the perverted and sinful human would do such a thing. At that time we have documents comparing the good-halal humans with the bees and ants. Probably all these type of bogus arguments and the comparisons are much older, only we do not have the proof of these brain droppings. Yet, they were acceptable in the imbecility of the Antiquity or the Dark Christian Middle Ages. Now we have a lot more information. And even if the human-ant/bee might be tempting, notice how the authors are always putting themselves or simply humans with their own qualities at the top and everybody else should work for the "good" of the collective.

Even with all the current information, Lindenfors produces the same old discussion copied, pasted and party enhanced with scientist understanding of the genes. Even the comparison with the ants and the bees is there. Long live the state University wages and most important the pensions!