The Contemplative Game Ranger

di Jaco Badenhorst (Autore)

Jaco Badenhorst, 2025

As a professional nature guide, author Jaco Badenhorst observes, explains and interprets animal behaviour for a living. By far the most enigmatic of behaviours, one that has captivated philosophers and scientists for millennia, is the phenomenon of altruism. Why and how did some organisms evolve costly behaviours to the benefit of others? At its core, the challenge has always been to reconcile seemingly altruistic behaviour (in both human as well as non-human species) with the contradictory and inherently selfish nature of all life on earth. Hidden behind nature's splendour lies an endless and often ruthless struggle for survival. At first glance, altruism seems to contradict the basic principles of natural selection, which suggests that selfish behaviours increase chances of survival and reproduction. Altruistic behaviour seemingly contradicts the theory of evolution. Yet, altruistic behaviour absolutely abounds in nature. How then, one wonders, did behaviour such as kindness, care, compassion, affection, empathy, sacrifice, generosity, reciprocity and a sense of fairness evolve? In this book, Badenhorst shares some fascinating examples and anecdotes of altruistic behaviour observed in organisms ranging from simple, single-celled amoeba, to insects, amphibia, reptiles and mammals. We will learn how sex and the sexes evolved. We will explore why different animals evolved diverse mating strategies ranging from monogamy to polygamy, polyandry and promiscuity. We will examine why some animals practise maternal care, some paternal care, and some biparental care, while others don't practise parental care at all. We will explore how nepotism, delayed reciprocity and fairness could have evolved. We will delve into the evolution of the purer (or so-called psychological) altruism of humans, and argue against the anthropocentric idea of dissociating the evolution of human altruistic behaviour from that of all other animals. And we will come to understand how the refined moral sense of humans could have developed through a natural evolutionary process that began with social instincts rooted in our nature as social animals.

• Autore: Jaco Badenhorst
• Anno edizione: 2025
• Editore: Jaco Badenhorst
• Formato: EPUB3 con DRMFREE
• Lingua: Inglese
• Compatibilità: Tutti i dispositivi (eccetto Kindle)
• Layout: Reflowable
• EAN: 9798231414499