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Opposing thoughts of the causes of altruism
Opposing thoughts of the causes of altruism
Essay on the order of human altruism
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Question 1:
Altruism is a behavior that benefits another individual despite the cost to oneself (Sparrow and Spaniol, 2018). Consequently, altruism in humans may have evolved as a result of either kin selection, group/multilevel selection or reciprocal altruism. By definition, kin selection involves the tendency to assist those of close relation compared to those more distantly related to oneself (Chaung and Wu, 2017). Secondly, multilevel selection theory involves group led benefits where the fitness of the group outweighs the costs to the individual (Ogorman et al., 2008). Thirdly, reciprocal altruism comprises cooperation between individuals where one helps another with the expectation that the other individual will help them out in return at a later date (Takano et al., 2016). Of the three types of altruism, I hypothesize that kin selection best explains and fits with the evolution of altruism in humans.
The kin selection hypothesis, also called the inclusive fitness theory, predicts altruistic tendencies will be higher towards another individual when the benefit to the individual and relatedness are greater than the cost to the actor (Foster et al., 2005).
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These naturally occurring processes allow for lateral gene transfer between prokaryotes. For instances, prokaryotes are capable of taking up DNA from their environment in a process called transformation, transfer genes through transduction with phage particles, and many other gene transfer processes (Ku and Martin, 2016). The transfer of genes may increase the mutation rate in the genomes of these organisms with the insertion of new DNA segments into their own genome with deleterious, beneficial or silent effects with the potential to increase the rate of change in organisms and thus the rate of
According to the article, Altruism and helping behavior, it is common for people to help others. Altruism is defined as “the desire to help another person even if it doesn’t benefit the helper” (Altruism and Helping Behavior. Print.). Helping behavior is “any act that is intended to benefit another person”
In Barry H. Corey’s book, Love Kindness, the underestimated, devalued virtue of kindness is explored. Kindness is a powerful, gentle strength that is often underestimated and devalued. Living a life of kindness is not for the meek or the prideful for this is a humbling, bold, and whimsical way of being. Love and kindness are difficult to separate because kindness is a result of love in its most authentic state. Love and kindness are the keys to moments of vulnerability. In that moment of authentic love and kindness barriers are demolished and people are reached in their brokenness.
Human social affinity appears to be much more interesting than “nice people are liked” and “aggressive people are disliked.” A more nuanced view emerges when considering the evolutionary functions of behaviors as they relate to dominance. The bulk of psychology considers antisociality and prosociality as opposite ends of a single continuum and, as such, assumes that they serve opposing functions. Here, I have considered them as serving the same function as two sides of the same coin (437).
The two competing theoretical frameworks that attempt to explain the development of morality are cognitive-behavioral and cognitive-developmental. The cognitive-behavioral approach is taken by Liebert, and the cognitive-developmental approach is taken by Kohlberg.
Altruism regards the individual life as something one may be required to sacrifice for the sake of
Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner provides incredibly valuable insight into the intertwining concepts of identity and personal happiness, as does A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews. Undeniably, a healthy cognisance of personal identity is crucial to mental tranquility and happiness. Insecurity, for example is unilaterally viewed as an unsettling character flaw precisely because of the inherent implication of untrue personal identity. Accurately understanding one’s true personal identity is the backbone of happiness, as seen in The Kite Runner and A Complicated Kindness. Furthermore, it can be said that personal flaws, strengths and collectivist mentalities surrounding both Amir and Nomi’s characters ultimately contribute to their respective happiness or lack thereof, at the end of both stories.
Altruism is selfless acts like someone willingly sacrificing their life for their child’s. When people show acts of altruism it is usually because they feel empathy for the person. They have feelings that reflect on how that person is feeling in the situation. We sacrifice ourselves for strangers in need to help reduce our personal distress of seeing them in need. Another reason is experiencing the feelings of the person in need. If a person sees someone having car trouble they will want to help because they remember having car trouble with no one around to help. They are sacrificing their wellbeing by pulling over to help, they could be putting themselves in a bad situation if the person is a criminal.
On the other hand, cells that have resistance from the start or acquire it later may survive. At the same time, when antibiotics attack disease-causing bacteria, they also attack benign bacteria. This process eliminates drug-susceptible bacteria and favors bacteria that are resistant. Two things happen, populations of non-resistant and harmless bacteria are diminished, and because of the reduction of competition from these harmless and/or susceptible bacteria, resistant forms of disease-causing bacteria proliferate. As the resistant forms of the bacteria proliferate, there is more opportunity for genetic or chromosomal mutation (spontaneous DNA mutation (1)) or transformation, that comes about either through a form of microbial sex (1) or through the transference of plasmids, small circles of DNA (1), which allow bacteria to interchange genes with ease.
According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, altruism is defined as an “unselfish regard for or devotion to the welfare of others”. In simpler terms, altruism is unconditional kindness. Altruistic behavior has been a controversial and obscure subject among biologists, including Charles Darwin, who was one of the first to try and explain this phenomenon. “To explain the evolution of altruism, Charles Darwin suggested that natural selection could act on groups as well as individuals--an idea known as group selection”(Schwartz). Group selection, which was based off of Darwin’s theory of natural selection, was the theory that an individual organism would sacrifice itself (seemingly selflessly) for the good of the entire population, hoping that its actions would save the group from annihilation and therefore allow for the continuation of the group’s gene flow into its descendants. Darwin explained that groups with members “ready to give aid to each other and sacrifice themselves for the com...
behavior for the benefit of other." (Recent Work on Human Altruism and Evolution) Another popularized theory by Richard Dawkins states that an individual who behaves more altruistic towards others who share its genes will tend to reproduce those genes. But since we always want something in exchange for something we did, can this truly exist, or is it just an illusion? On Jan.
Gintis, Herbert, Samuel Bowles, Robert Boyd, and Ermst Fehr. “Explaining Altruistic Behavior in Humans.” Evolution and Human Behavior 24 (2003): 153-172. Web. 5 Feb. 2012
For someone who believes in psychological egoism, i t is difficult to find an action that would be acknowledged as purely altruistic. In practice, altruism, is the performance of duties to others with no view to any sort of personal...
One form is generalized reciprocity, which is the giving of goods without expectation of a return of equal value at any definite future time. Generalized reciprocity occurs mainly between individuals who are emotionally attached to one another and have a responsibility to help one another on the basis of need. In the United States, parents who provide their children with shelter, food, vehicles, college educations, and interest-free loans are practicing generalized reciprocity. Giving without the expectation of a quick and equivalent return should also occur between certain other kinds of social relations, such as wives and husbands, siblings, and sometimes close friends. Among certain groups of people more goods are exchanged using this form than any other. For example, most members of small hunting and gathering groups are expected to share food and be generous with their possessions. Generalized reciprocity happens in all human populations and is the dominant mode of exchange in very small groups in which all or most members are relatives.
Autism is an abnormal behavior in childhood that cause the child to have poor social skills, socially inappropriate repetitive behaviors, scattered speech or to be unable to verablly communicate with others. Altruism is caused by genetic factors as well as environmentally. Autism can range from mild to severe, with the milder form only making things such as altruism and logic difficult. Where as with the most severe a child will need help being fed, changed, etc. In 2015 researchers found that 1 in every 5 children was effected with autism as compared to 1 and 86 in 2007. Though there is no known cause of what can possibly be causing altuism, a lot of people point to measel shots as a cause. Another childhood disorder that is very common among
There are many different factors that influence a child’s behaviour. It is up to early childhood educators to know these factors and how to help them overcome the challenges. Firstly, the environment and the people within in it, have an important role in influencing the behaviour of children. When teachers create a calm and secure environment, they are indirectly influencing the children’s behaviour. Gordon and Browne (2014), state that children are least likely to misbehave when provided with toys and activities that are entertaining and engaging. Therefore, children are able to feel relaxed and are more willing to listen to adults. Having an environment with enough space that allows children to move from different areas, without causing