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Agriculture increases individual fitness

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  30 June 2016

Karen Kovaka ,
Carlos Santana ,
Raj Patel ,
Erol Akçay  and
Michael Weisberg
Karen Kovaka
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA [email protected]@[email protected]@phil.upenn.eduhttp://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/bio/kovakahttp://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/bio/santanahttp://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/bio/patelhttp://www.phil.upenn.edu/~weisberg
Carlos Santana
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA [email protected]@[email protected]@phil.upenn.eduhttp://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/bio/kovakahttp://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/bio/santanahttp://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/bio/patelhttp://www.phil.upenn.edu/~weisberg
Raj Patel
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA [email protected]@[email protected]@phil.upenn.eduhttp://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/bio/kovakahttp://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/bio/santanahttp://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/bio/patelhttp://www.phil.upenn.edu/~weisberg
Erol Akçay
Affiliation:
Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6304. [email protected]://www.bio.upenn.edu/people/erol-akcay
Michael Weisberg
Affiliation:
Department of Philosophy, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA [email protected]@[email protected]@phil.upenn.eduhttp://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/bio/kovakahttp://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/bio/santanahttp://philosophy.sas.upenn.edu/bio/patelhttp://www.phil.upenn.edu/~weisberg
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Abstract

We question the need to explain the onset of agriculture by appealing to the second type of multilevel selection (MLS2). Unlike eusocial insect colonies, human societies do not exhibit key features of evolutionary individuals. If we avoid the mistake of equating Darwinian fitness with health and quality of life, the adoption of agriculture is almost certainly explicable in terms of individual-level selection and individual rationality.

Type
Open Peer Commentary
Information
Behavioral and Brain Sciences , Volume 39 , 2016 , e103
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2016 

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