KIN SELECTION AND INCLUSIVE FITNESS IN EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY AND PSYCHOLOGY PART I. COULD THEY BE RELATED TO NEW TESTAMENT EXPLANATIONS OF ALTRUISTIC BEHAVIOUR?

This paper examines the theories of inclusive fitness and kin selection and their relationship to New Testament considerations of cooperation and altruism. It discusses how these theories have been developed and what they represent in Evolutionary biology and Psychology. In Part I, the central concept in these theories is the idea of altruism or, in most cases, cooperation and reciprocity. In Evolutionary biology, these terms refer to favours bestowed upon individuals belonging to the same kin (e.g. kin selection). In evolutionary psychology, they refer to a caring disposition demonstrated to members of non-kin as well (e.g. reciprocity). In Evolutionary biology, altruism occurs so that the altruist's genes may passed on to the progeny of relatives.