In this blog post, we will explore whether pure altruism is a trait unique to humans or if it exists in other living beings, using various examples and research.
Evolutionary theory gained its stature from the time of Charles Robert Darwin. After the publication of Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, evolutionary theory became the central theory in biology and served as a powerful tool for explaining the diversity and complexity of life. His research, based on the concepts of natural selection and survival of the fittest, suggests that living organisms have changed as they adapted to their environment. The theory of evolution is one of the theories that sought to explain how complex multicellular organisms like humans emerged from simple single-celled organisms like amoebas.
Darwin’s theory was initially met with controversy and criticism, but over time, increasing scientific evidence came to support his claims. Evolutionary theory has profoundly influenced philosophical discussions about the origin of life and humanity’s place in it, extending far beyond merely explaining biological phenomena. Among those continuing this evolutionary discourse is Richard Dawkins, author of The Selfish Gene, who has conducted extensive research on evolutionary theory. He sought to resolve the question of why living organisms produce offspring and nurture them with unconditional love to ensure their survival.
He argues that the fundamental unit of life is the gene, and that organisms produce and care for offspring—copies of their genes—to ensure the eternal survival of those genes. Underlying this argument is the idea that genes are the true ‘subjects’ of life, while organisms are merely ‘vehicles’ that carry and protect them. I believe Richard Dawkins’ argument holds considerable validity. He asserts that genes are absolutely selfish, focusing solely on replicating and perpetuating their copies, while the organisms that serve as their carriers are equally self-serving. This aligns with the principle of natural selection, based on the logic that in an environment where all life competes for survival and reproduction, selfish behavior leads to greater success.
This argument applies to the vast majority of life on Earth, and he has also demonstrated its validity through his own logic even for exceptional organisms. Furthermore, regarding humans—a life form possessing complex social structures that deviate from his argument—he gains considerable persuasiveness by introducing the new concept of ‘memes’. Here, meme is a term coined by Richard Dawkins, referring to an intermediary vehicle—such as a unit, form, type, or element—through which human culture is transmitted and evolves, much like genes. In other words, memes are units of information transmitted through human thought and behavioral patterns, playing a crucial role in the development and change of human society. Put simply, within human culture, culture is transmitted from person to person in the form of memes.
I believe he introduced the concept of memes to explain organisms possessing pure altruism. He sought to justify humans by citing examples of pure altruism outside his logic, framed as culture. However, I believe he should have observed a greater variety of organisms before introducing this concept. I am convinced that organisms possessing the meme concept he introduced are not limited to humans.
His logic does not tolerate altruistic behavior toward organisms with no or extremely low genetic relatedness to oneself, which is why humans introduced this special concept to explain it. I believe this concept of memes should not be applied only to humans but also to certain highly social animals. By closely observing highly social organisms and analyzing numerous cases, one can see that pure altruism is not unique to humans.
For example, altruistic behavior is observed in some primates and other animals that maintain cooperative relationships between individuals. Chimpanzees and bonobos, for instance, often exhibit behaviors that provide assistance to other individuals, contributing to the maintenance and prosperity of their community beyond mere genetic benefit. Of course, people will say the term “meme” cannot be directly applied to animals. Since the term meme was originally coined to describe the unique characteristics of human society, its use is inherently limited to humans. However, if we broaden the category slightly, it becomes a term that can certainly be applied to the societies of other organisms.
Furthermore, some may dismiss certain events revealing pure altruism in animals as mere coincidence or attribute them to mutations within the group, refusing to accept that mechanisms similar to memes might exist in some animal societies. This seems to stem from an insufficient recognition of phenomena already observed in several animal societies. Even setting aside the existence of pets in human society, which I believe already falls within the category of memes, numerous phenomena demonstrating animal altruism are observed in the wild. Altruism is not merely a product of chance; it can be a strategy that positively impacts survival and reproduction under specific conditions. One example is dolphins rescuing humans. On October 30, 2004, in New Zealand, a pod of dolphins saved a person from a great white shark. Another notable incident occurred on March 27, 2000, off the coast of Florida, USA, where dolphins dramatically rescued a stranded refugee boat. There are numerous other similar cases. Furthermore, observing commonly witnessed dolphin or elephant funeral rites reveals that they too possess elements falling within the category of what humans call culture. They demonstrate mutual protection based on family-like bonds and fulfill responsibilities as members of their community. The existence of such behaviors suggests the presence of memes, as described by Richard Dawkins.
Thus, even within collective societies of other life forms outside human society, if humans observe closely, they can discern that certain organisms possess something akin to culture and that mechanisms similar to memes may also exist. Therefore, we can conclude that organisms possessing culture and exhibiting pure altruism within it are not limited to us humans. Ultimately, from an evolutionary perspective, altruism and social behavior are complex phenomena that can emerge in diverse life forms and are observable across many animals, including humans. Therefore, we must broaden our perspective, analyze more organisms in greater detail and with more rigor, and seek out life forms to which the term “meme”—often called the gene of culture—can be applied, thereby expanding the scope of this discussion.
