David Sloan Wilson, Does Altruism Exist? Culture, Genes and the Welfare of Others, Yale University Press, 2015, 180 p

Abstract

This book belongs to a special series –Foundational Questions in Science- which has been published by the John Templeton Foundation to investigate crucial scientific concepts and their philosophical background. As the first book of this initiative, “”Does Altruism Exist?” puts its finger on the age-old debate extending from ancient to modern times in many branches- economics, social psychology, sociology -. In this respect, the question of whether altruism exists or not is a multi-faceted current discussion and one at the same time that is proving difficult to find a solution for. Professor David Sloan Wilson has been studying evolutionary theory and how it applies to all aspects of life in his non-profit organization-The Evolution Institute- and he is a distinguished professor of biology and antropology at Binghampton University. The aim of professsor Wilson and his team is to search for solutions to real-world problems. Therefore, in this book, the question has been tried to be cleared up with an evolutionary approach in terms of action and the context of everyday life (Wilson, 2015, p. x).This book belongs to a special series –Foundational Questions in Science- which has been published by the John Templeton Foundation to investigate crucial scientific concepts and their philosophical background. As the first book of this initiative, “”Does Altruism Exist?” puts its finger on the age-old debate extending from ancient to modern times in many branches- economics, social psychology, sociology -. In this respect, the question of whether altruism exists or not is a multi-faceted current discussion and one at the same time that is proving difficult to find a solution for. Professor David Sloan Wilson has been studying evolutionary theory and how it applies to all aspects of life in his non-profit organization-The Evolution Institute- and he is a distinguished professor of biology and antropology at Binghampton University. The aim of professsor Wilson and his team is to search for solutions to real-world problems. Therefore, in this book, the question has been tried to be cleared up with an evolutionary approach in terms of action and the context of everyday life (Wilson, 2015, p. x).