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Evolutionary Foundations of Cooperation and Group Cohesion

In: Games, Groups, and the Global Good

Author

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  • Steven A. Frank

    (University of California)

Abstract

In biology, the evolution of increasingly cooperative groups has shaped the history of life. Genes collaborate in the control of cells; cells efficiently divide tasks to produce cohesive multicellular individuals; individual members of insect colonies cooperate in integrated societies. Biological cooperation provides a foundation on which to understand human behavior. Conceptually, the economics of efficient allocation and the game-like processes of strategy are well understood in biology; we find the same essential processes in many successful theories of human sociality. Historically, the trace of biological evolution informs in two ways. First, the evolutionary transformations in biological cooperation provide insight into how economic and strategic processes play out over time-a source of analogy that, when applied thoughtfully, aids analysis of human sociality. Second, humans arose from biological history – a factual account of the past that tells us much about the material basis of human behavior.

Suggested Citation

  • Steven A. Frank, 2009. "Evolutionary Foundations of Cooperation and Group Cohesion," Springer Series in Game Theory, in: Simon A. Levin (ed.), Games, Groups, and the Global Good, pages 3-40, Springer.
    • Handle: RePEc:spr:spschp:978-3-540-85436-4_1
    DOI: 10.1007/978-3-540-85436-4_1
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    Cited by:

    1. Jessica L Barker & Pat Barclay & H Kern Reeve, 2013. "Competition over Personal Resources Favors Contribution to Shared Resources in Human Groups," PLOS ONE, Public Library of Science, vol. 8(3), pages 1-9, March.
    2. Simon DeDeo & David C Krakauer & Jessica C Flack, 2010. "Inductive Game Theory and the Dynamics of Animal Conflict," PLOS Computational Biology, Public Library of Science, vol. 6(5), pages 1-16, May.

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