A gene's eye vew: W.D. Hamilton, the science of society, and the new biology of enlightened self-interest, 1950-1990

Thesis

W.D. Hamilton has been celebrated as the twentieth-century Darwin. His extension of evolutionary theory to explain social behaviours has been extensively documented. Current accounts, however, have often overlooked the extent to which his early research goals were tied to his desire to see that a better world was created through a scientific understanding of society. In fact, when his interests in humans, and especially his eugenic concerns, have been acknowledged, they have been distanced...

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Authors: Swenson, S

• Publication date: 2015
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: Oxford University, UK
• Language: English
• Keywords: genetics; evolution; sociobiology; inclusive fitness
• Subjects: History of science