Were Humans Their Own Most Important Selective Pressure for Cooperation and Morality? A Critical Review of Richard Wrangham's The Goodness Paradox

• Published in: Evolutionary behavioral sciences 2022-04, Vol.16 (2), p.187-199
• Main Authors: Summers, Kyle, Crespi, Bernard J., Flinn, Mark V.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Aggressive Behavior; Competition; Cooperation; Domestication; Dominance; Evolution; Human; Intelligence; Intergroup Dynamics; Interpersonal Interaction; Interpersonal relations; Morality; Prosocial Behavior; Punishment; Social evolution; Social intelligence; Theory of Evolution
• ISSN: 2330-2925; 2330-2933
• DOI: 10.1037/ebs0000203

We provide a critical review of the recent book by Richard W. Wrangham focused on the evolution of morality-The Goodness Paradox. We review the main points of the book, particularly as they relate to the evolution of morality in the context of self-domestication theory. In self-domestication, selective pressures exerted by some members on other members of the same species result in the gradual loss of "reactive aggression," causing interpersonal interactions within groups to become more docile and cooperative. The results relevant to the evolution of morality include (a) the extraordinary prosociality of humans compared to other species; (b) the evolution of strong standards of behavior (standards of right and wrong); (c) the evolution of third-party punishment. We then discuss specific points and alternative perspectives in the following areas: (a) the relationship between self-domestication and intergroup competition, with reference to R.D. Alexander's "Ecological Dominance and Social Competition" theory; (b) the relationship between the evolution of moral systems and the evolution of social intelligence, including the role of language in the evolution of moral systems; (c) the interaction of genetic and environmental (including cultural) influences during the evolution of morality; and (d) the complex nature of moral systems, and the role of positive-feedbacks between genetic, physiological, cognitive, social and cultural systems in their evolution. Public Significance Statement Self-domestication is an important process that has been identified in several non-human species, and may well have played a key role in the evolution of human social systems, including the evolution of morality. In this review of Richard Wrangham's book, "The Goodness Paradox," we argue that, while self-domestication likely had important effects on the evolution of human moral systems, it is not sufficient to explain their origin or complexity. We argue that Richard Alexander's "Ecological Dominance and Social Competition Model" provides a more complete explanation for the origin and elaboration of human moral systems.