Explaining Altruism: A Simulation-Based Approach and its Limits

Ontos Verlag (2008)
  Copy   BIBTEX

Abstract

Employing computer simulations for the study of the evolution of altruism has been popular since Axelrod's book "The Evolution of Cooperation". But have the myriads of simulation studies that followed in Axelrod's footsteps really increased our knowledge about the evolution of altruism or cooperation? This book examines in detail the working mechanisms of simulation based evolutionary explanations of altruism. It shows that the "theoretical insights" that can be derived from simulation studies are often quite arbitrary and of little use for the empirical research. In the final chapter of the book, therefore, a set of epistemological requirements for computer simulations is proposed and recommendations for the proper research design of simulation studies are made.

Other Versions

No versions found

Analytics

Added to PP
2016-11-27

Downloads
1,143 (#14,455)

6 months
413 (#3,597)

Historical graph of downloads
How can I increase my downloads?

Author's Profile

Eckhart Arnold
Bavarian Academy of Sciences And Humanities

References found in this work

No references found.

Add more references