Q&A: Question
Originally published:
This is an English translation (via GPT-5.4). Read the original Hebrew version.
Question
Question
Following the paradox of altruism, if we assume that a person is capable of pure altruism, does that pose a difficulty for the theory of evolution, since not everything is done in order to adapt / survive? Or is it perhaps still done, at the subconscious level, for the sake of gain?
Answer
I didn’t understand any of that. What is the paradox of altruism? What exactly is the question?
Discussion on Answer
Evolution does not assume that all our actions are for the sake of survival. There is no scientific basis for that. It says that in the long run, those who survive are the ones endowed with traits or modes of behavior that are beneficial for that.
What the Rabbi mentioned in the article about Jokic and Westbrook. Only when one truly wants the good of the collective can the individual profit. From here it seems that there are actions we do not in order to survive or adapt.