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Explaining Altruism : A Simulation-Based Approach and its Limits / Eckhart Arnold.

By: Material type: TextTextSeries: Practical Philosophy ; 11Publisher: Berlin ; Boston : De Gruyter, [2013]Copyright date: ©2008Description: 1 online resource (310 p.)Content type:
Media type:
Carrier type:
ISBN:
  • 9783110327304
  • 9783110327571
Subject(s): LOC classification:
  • BJ1474 .A76 2008eb
Other classification:
  • online - DeGruyter
Online resources: Available additional physical forms:
  • Issued also in print.
Contents:
Frontmatter -- Contents -- Chapter 1: Introduction -- Chapter 2: The riddle of altruism -- Chapter 3: The generalized theory of evolution as theoretical framework -- Chapter 4: Modeling the evolution of altruism -- Chapter 5: Empirical research on the evolution of altruism -- Chapter 6: Learning from failure -- Chapter 7: Summary and final reflections -- Chapter 8: Appendices -- Backmatter
Summary: 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.
Holdings
Item type Current library Call number URL Status Notes Barcode
eBook eBook Biblioteca "Angelicum" Pont. Univ. S.Tommaso d'Aquino Nuvola online online - DeGruyter (Browse shelf(Opens below)) Online access Not for loan (Accesso limitato) Accesso per gli utenti autorizzati / Access for authorized users (dgr)9783110327571

Frontmatter -- Contents -- Chapter 1: Introduction -- Chapter 2: The riddle of altruism -- Chapter 3: The generalized theory of evolution as theoretical framework -- Chapter 4: Modeling the evolution of altruism -- Chapter 5: Empirical research on the evolution of altruism -- Chapter 6: Learning from failure -- Chapter 7: Summary and final reflections -- Chapter 8: Appendices -- Backmatter

restricted access online access with authorization star

http://purl.org/coar/access_right/c_16ec

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.

Issued also in print.

Mode of access: Internet via World Wide Web.

In English.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 28. Feb 2023)