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Behavioural science

Homo reciprocans

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Humans are often generous, but cooperation unravels when others take advantage of them. Many people punish such 'free riders', even if they do not benefit personally, and this 'altruistic punishment' sustains cooperation.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, 87501

    Samuel Bowles

  2. University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003, USA

    Samuel Bowles

  3. University of Massachusetts at Amherst, Massachusetts, 01003, USA

    Herbert Gintis

Authors
  1. Samuel Bowles
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  2. Herbert Gintis
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Bowles, S., Gintis, H. Homo reciprocans . Nature 415, 125–127 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1038/415125a

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