Anonymous
9/1/2025, 9:08:32 AM
No.16772408
>>16772411
>>16772554
>>16775402
>>16776895
>>16777021
>>16777029
>>16777145
>>16777149
George R Price's death proved his theories were correct
He was the guy who created the Price equation for altruism. His work was built on William Hamilton's theories about genetics controlling human decision making. From what I understand, animals (including human beings) who 'selflessly' help each other, are in fact behaving selfishly, as their sacrifice for the sake of other individuals helps in furthering their own genes. In animals, this helps explain behaviour like sacrificing for herd members that are genetically related. Thus, genetically similar individuals may live on and reproduce. In human beings social factors interact with genetics. Human beings will help out and sacrifice for people that they know over strangers, because that act is beneficial for at least one of them or maybe even both in the long run. I think in humans the social aspect trumps the genetic one. Our society is built on give and take, social structures are comprised of groups of people with different genetic backgrounds working together. Therefore the Price equation in humans would imply that humans would behave altruistically for people they know well rather than strangers. This would explain in-group preferences and implies that behaving altruistically towards strangers is a bad strategy, genetically.
Price was so disturbed by the implications of his theory (true selflessness doesn't exist) that he spent the rest of his life selflessly giving away his possessions to random people in London, in an attempt to prove himself wrong. He started off by giving his clothes, watches, furniture, money to homeless hobos. Then he invited homeless hobos that he never knew to live in his house. He began doing charity work such as cleaning the streets and whatnot. His objective was to prove that behaving altruistically with strangers is truly selfless and a good strategy genetically. Eventually, he himself ended up homeless because the hobos he invited kicked him out of his own house. His health declined considerably and eventually he committed suicide.
Price was so disturbed by the implications of his theory (true selflessness doesn't exist) that he spent the rest of his life selflessly giving away his possessions to random people in London, in an attempt to prove himself wrong. He started off by giving his clothes, watches, furniture, money to homeless hobos. Then he invited homeless hobos that he never knew to live in his house. He began doing charity work such as cleaning the streets and whatnot. His objective was to prove that behaving altruistically with strangers is truly selfless and a good strategy genetically. Eventually, he himself ended up homeless because the hobos he invited kicked him out of his own house. His health declined considerably and eventually he committed suicide.