The Homeopathy of Kin Selection

0730-9384/2001/020203-13 © Association for Politics and the Life Sciences Abstract. The present discussion of sociobiological approaches to ethnic nepotism takes Pierre van den Bergheʼs theory as a starting point. Two points, which have not been addressed in former analyses, are considered to be of particular importance. It is argued that the behavioral mechanism of ethnic nepotism—as understood by van den Berghe—cannot explain ethnic boundaries and attitudes. In addition, I show that van den Bergheʼs central premise concerning ethnic nepotism is in contradiction to Hamiltonʼs formula, the essential principle of kin selection theory. It is further discussed how other approaches that make reference to ethnic nepotism are related to van den Bergheʼs account and its problems. I conclude with remarks on the evolutionary explanation of ethnic phenomena. While some aspects relevant to the study of ethnicity (warfare, aggression) have already been addressed sociobiologically, it was Pierre van den Berghe who offered the fi rst attempt to integrate ethnicity as such in a biosocial framework (see van den Berghe, 1978b). His central idea is that the behavioral disposition of ethnic nepotism, derived from kin selection theory, explains the central features of ethnicity. This theory of ethnic nepotism has been of particular infl uence for some other authors who want to include evolutionary biology in their account, including Shaw and Wong, 1989; Rushton, 1995; Vanhanen, 1999b; Salter, 2001. For this reason, van den Bergheʼs theory is taken as a starting point for my discussion. In addition, two essential steps in van den Bergheʼs argument that have not yet been clearly addressed are here argued to be unsound, thus posing fundamental problems for his position as it is stated. In particular, the central premise of ethnic nepotism is shown to be based on a gross misunderstanding of Hamiltonʼs rule; this tenet cannot be salvaged because it contradicts kin selection theory. In the second part, other authors ̓evolutionary approaches to ethnocentrism are discussed with respect to how they relate to van den Bergheʼs theory and the mentioned problems, where the focus will be on the offered evolutionary explanation of ethnic attitudes. I conclude the analysis with remarks on the methodology and explanation of ethnic phenomena using evolutionary theory.