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Part of the book series: Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science ((BSPS,volume 186))

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Abstract

The interest shown by sociobiologists in examining the phenomena of altruism comes, as it is well known, from the paradoxical character of altruistic behavior. Although natural selection favors individual fitness, some beings (among which we find ants, rats and humans) perform acts that can be denominated as “altruistic” and that diminish their fitness, generally in favor of a relative’s fitness.

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© 1996 Kluwer Academic Publishers

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Cela Conde, C.J. (1996). Biological and Moral Altruism. In: Munévar, G. (eds) Spanish Studies in the Philosophy of Science. Boston Studies in the Philosophy of Science, vol 186. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0305-0_7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-0305-0_7

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-010-6622-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-009-0305-0

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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