Other-regarding behavior is widespread in animals but fairness preferences are not.
Evidence
In conclusion, we have presented evidence for similarity in the importance of partner choice and punishment as control mechanisms, and similarity in outcomes between cleaning mutualism and human cooperation. Nevertheless, we would not assume a similarity in underlying mechanisms. More generally, there is little evidence that nonhuman animals have evolved fairness preferences, even though other-regarding behaviour is common across a diverse range of taxa (Burkart et al. 2009). — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality, 316
Categorization
- XREF: Connects to the reader’s project on Big God/partner choice mechanisms in Shusaku Endo’s Silence — the claim that fairness preferences are uniquely human strengthens the reading of morality as a human-specific apparatus. — connects to: Fairness-based morality is uniquely human despite similar selective conditions in animals. — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality: The…, 309; Punishment in cleaner fish couples may stem from loss aversion, not fairness preferences. — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality: The…, 315; Moral fairness may itself have been shaped by natural selection. — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality: The…, 12
Related
- Fairness-based morality is uniquely human despite similar selective conditions in animals. (similarity 0.91)
- Punishment in cleaner fish couples may stem from loss aversion, not fairness preferences. (similarity 0.82)
- A preference for fairness can directly favor equalitarianism in cooperation. (similarity 0.81)
- Fairness is not reducible to mutualistic partner choice. (similarity 0.80)
- Fairness evolved to distribute payoffs by input, not equally. (similarity 0.80)
- Morality may have evolved via partner choice over partner control (similarity 0.79)
- Dolphin cooperation may include partner-fairness evaluation like humans (similarity 0.79)
- Partner choice predicts fair cooperation while group selection predicts utilitarian cooperation. (similarity 0.79)
- Fairness impulses must compete against natural selfish impulses via self-regulation (similarity 0.79)
- Moral fairness may itself have been shaped by natural selection. (similarity 0.79)
- Morality evolved as a propensity for fair cost-benefit sharing among cooperators. (similarity 0.79)
- Morality evolves from individual partner-choice competition, not group selection. (similarity 0.78)
- Fairness evolves from partner choice, not partner control (similarity 0.78)
- Human morality may rest on a general normativizing capacity, not a dedicated fairness module. (similarity 0.78)
- Fairness evolved as a psychological device because outside market options constrain benefit distribution. (similarity 0.78)
Broader Connections
- Moral fairness may itself have been shaped by natural selection.
#expands(0.85) — Nicolas Baumard, A mutualistic approach to morality, 12