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Acta Biológica Colombiana

Print version ISSN 0120-548X

Abstract

ROSAS, ALEJANDRO. Darwin and the Social Dilemmas. Acta biol.Colomb. [online]. 2009, vol.14, suppl.1, pp.415-424. ISSN 0120-548X.

I describe the project of a Darwinian explanation of morality following Darwin’s basic ideas as expressed in The Descent of Man. In contrast to the traditional interpretation, I argue that Darwin did not assume, nor is it necessary to assume in a Darwinian perspective, an inevitable conflict between individual and group selection in the explanation of morality. Both operate in synergy to favor traits that support moral behavior. I also argue that two teachings result from this Darwinian project, one for moral philosophy and the other for the theory of natural selection. The first puts social dilemmas in the heart of human morality; the second puts cooperation in the core of natural selection. I illustrate the second point with recent research into the evolution of multicellular organisms.

Keywords : cooperation; evolution of multi-cellular organisms; morality; multi-level selection; social dilemmas.

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