From Marcin Chady
I read with relish David Sloan Wilson’s article describing a revival of group selection (Instant Expert, 6 August). In my university days this went against the received wisdom: I am glad it has finally got its due appreciation.
Could the closing remarks, suggesting that the purpose of morality is to suppress intra-group selection, be developed a step further? It can be argued that altruism had to co-evolve with tribalism, as a promoter of inter-group selection. Tribalism manifests in such ugly ways as racism, nationalism and war; yet altruism could not exist without inter-group selection. Could this be proof that good and evil are two sides of the same coin?
Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada
