Sociobiology, Theory of Evolution, and Bioeconomics Introduction

Abstract

Sociobiology forms a unifying theory of the social interactions in the human and in the animal world. Its principle unifying human and animal societies is the maximisation of genetic fitness by the individual. The maximisation of genetic fitness forms the basic “teleology” of the individual in society. As an application of the Neo-Darwinian Synthesis of evolution theory sociobiology extends Darwinian evolutionary theory to the realm of the social and economic sciences. Sociobiology becomes bioeconomics or the analysis of the economy of nature since individuals and species compete for the same scarce resources of nature to maximise their inclusive fitness and the survival of their off-spring. To make economic use of the resources of nature is a necessary part of maximising inclusive fitness. The life sciences are led by their own research to economic theory for being able to analyse the economy of nature. To live means to make economic use of one’s own resources and of those of one’s environment. Wasting resources implies reducing the development of life forms.

To the Memory of Reinhard Löw (1949–1994), Outstanding Scholar of Naturphilosophie