In formulating their morality-as-cooperation hypothesis, @2019curryGood identify seven distinct forms of cooperation—mostly construed as different types of solutions to non-zero-sum games—and derive six broad types of moral rules that appear to be universal (i.e., always considered to be morally good, if present) across human cultures.
| Type of cooperation | Corresponding moral value | Theoretical motivation | Behavioral examples |
|---|---|---|---|
| Allocation of resources to kin | Family values | If evolutionarily selected for, genes that deliver greater benefits to genetic relatives will lead organisms to develop mechanisms for detecting kin | Caring for offspring, helping family members, avoiding inbreeding |
| Coordination to mutual advantage | Group loyalty | Situations where individuals are uncertain about how to bring about mutual benefits can be modeled as coordination problems | Forming friendships, participating in collaborative endeavors, favoring one’s own group, adopting local conventions |
| Social exchange | Reciprocity | Social dilemmas in game theory are resolved by strategies involving conditional cooperation | Trusting others, reciprocating favors, seeking revenge, expressing gratitude, making amends |
| Contests between “hawks” and “doves” | Hawkish heroism and dovish deference | Conflicts over resources can be settled by “contests” where individuals display their competitive ability and defer to stronger parties | Status-related behaviors, cultural dominance hierarchies, displays of “heroic virtues” (bravery, fortitude, skill, wit) and “monkish virtues” (humility, deference, obedience, respect) |
| Division | Fairness | Conflicts over divisible resources can be resolved by distributing resources in proportion to the relative bargaining power of players | Dividing disputed resources, reaching a compromise, being fair |
| Possession | Property rights | Conflicts over resources can be resolved by recognition of prior possession | Deferring to prior possession (including acknowledgment of private property) |
References
- Maynard Smith and Price (1973), “The logic of animal conflict”
- Maynard Smith (1982), Evolution and the Theory of Games
- @2019curryGood, “Is it good to cooperate? Testing the theory of morality-as-cooperation in 60 societies”
Further reading
- Nash, J. (1950). The bargaining problem. Econometrica: Journal of the econometric society, 155–162.