Biological Benevolence: Altruism & Empathy in Human Evolution

Homo neanderthalensis; Shanidar 1; skull

 The capacity for empathy is often characterized as a divinely given and unexplainable attribute that belongs uniquely to humans. It is, however, deeply ingrained in our biology and lineage.

        What motivates you to help others? We, as humans, are known to have an immense capacity for unconditional altruism. Though this is in part a direct result of our modern culture and society, it's nothing new. Around 40,000 years ago, in the Zagros Mountains of the modern-day Iraqi-Kurdistan region, lived the Neanderthal Shanidar 1, affectionately known as Nandy. At some point early in his life, Shanidar 1 sustained multiple potentially fatal injuries. He lived the remainder of his surprisingly long life with a fully or partially blind left eye, some level of hearing loss, a pronounced limp, and a lost lower arm and hand. Besides the implication that the arm may have been amputated, which would render Shanidar 1 one of the earliest examples of surgery, it's also clear that our ‘Nandy’ was not very physically fit. He would have had to be nursed back to health over a span of weeks if not months, and even then, never returned to full fitness. Someone did that. Someone cared for Nandy, not because he brought anything specific to the group, but simply because he was loved. He ended up living until his 40s, which was just about as long as any Neanderthal or Sapien lived at this time.

        Our genus’s tendency towards altruism is striking, but arguably even more so is the biology behind it. We are built to be empaths. You have the capacity to think about what other people are thinking. You have the choice of knowing cruelty or boundless support. But why? Green-beard altruism, an evolutionary theory developed by William D. Hamilton, explains biological benevolence. In the words of Richard Dawkins, "I have a green beard, and I will be altruistic to anyone else with a green beard" in The Selfish Gene (1976). Using this gene-centered viewpoint on evolution, we assert that traits such as empathy are coded into us through a collection of unique alleles.  This perspective provides a biological explanation for something as innate as empathy. In a limited form, this theory can explain biological predispositions toward tribalism and sectionalism; however, when extended, it may also provide insight into why humans feel such profound empathy toward other species.

So, surely, there is something special about us. After all, we are not just empathetic towards fellow humans. We love and feel deep care for other species and often make active efforts to preserve their lives, even at an inconvenience to ourselves. Despite this, we are biased towards that which looks like us: This is why the average person, if forced to choose, would likely save the life of a chimpanzee over an albatross or a raven. What could be considered unique about us, however, is our ability to opt out of empathy and to reject our primal calling towards altruism. Instincts be damned, an egotist will still find a way to practice egotism.