Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Evolutionary biology

Help and you shall be helped

Nature volume 393, pages 517–519 (1998)Cite this article

How do moral systems evolve? The common view, rooted in game theory (see box, overleaf), is that cooperation and mutual aid require tight partnerships among individuals, or close kinship1. But this dogma is now being shaken and, on page 573 of this issue, Nowak and Sigmund2 report a new mathematical model to show that cooperation can become established even if recipients have no chance to return the help to their helper. This is because helping improves reputation, which in turn makes one more likely to be helped.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Get just this article for as long as you need it

$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1

MILES BARTON/BBC NATURAL HIST. ORY UNIT

References

  1. Axelrod, R. & Hamilton, W. D. Science 211, 1390–1396 (1981).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Nowak, M. A. & Sigmund, K. Nature 393, 573–577 (1998).

    Article  ADS  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Sugden, R. The Evolution of Rights, Co-operation and Welfare (Blackwell, Oxford, 1986).

  4. Ferrière, R. & Michod, R. E. Am. Nat. 147, 692–717 (1996).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Enquist, M. & Leimar, O. Anim. Behav. 45, 747–757 (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  6. Pollock, G. B. & Dugatkin, L. A. J. Theor. Biol. 159, 25–37 (1992).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Alexander, R. D. The Biology of Moral Systems (Aldine de Gruyter, New York, 1987).

  8. Zahavi, A. J. Avian Biol. 26, 1–3 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Bull, J. J. & Rice, W. R. J. Theor. Biol. 149, 63–74 (1991).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Sigmund, K. Games of Life (Oxford Univ. Press, 1993).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. the Laboratoire d'Ecologie, CNRS UMR 7625, Ecole Normale Supérieure, 46 rue d'Ulm, 75230, Paris cedex, France

    Régis Ferrière

Authors
  1. Régis Ferrière
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ferrière, R. Help and you shall be helped. Nature 393, 517–519 (1998). https://doi.org/10.1038/31102

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/31102

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing