Kin Selection and Its Critics

Kin Selection and Its Critics

Hamilton’s theory of kin selection is the best-known framework for understanding the evolution of social behavior but has long been a source of controversy in evolutionary biology. A recent critique of the theory by Nowak, Tarnita, and Wilson sparked a new round of debate, which shows no signs of abating. In this overview, we highlight a number of conceptual issues that lie at the heart of the ...

Kin Selection

Kin selection

How can individuals calculate relatedness? They generally don’t need to, any more than a bird needs to calculate aerodynamic forces to fly. If, under certain conditions, performing a behavior satisfies Hamilton’s rule, then the action is favored. The triggering conditions may include cues to relatedness, which are usually based on social experience. A bee, for example, learns the smell of her b...

Democracy and Its Critics

Keynes' Law and Its Critics*

Keynes' Law and Its Critics. Critics of Keynes' "fundamental psychological law" that the rate of current consumption declines with increases in current income claimed it was incomplete, produced incorrect predictions and emphasized the wrong spending behavior. These objections involve confusion over the effects of individual and average data on spending estimates. When data types are carefully ...