TITLE:
The Influence of Natural Selection and Other Disciplines on Ecological Economic Values
AUTHORS:
Herath Vidyaratne
KEYWORDS:
Altruism, Culture, Ecosystems, Existence Value, Inclusive Fitness, Self-Interest and Sustainability
JOURNAL NAME:
Theoretical Economics Letters,
Vol.12 No.5,
October
18,
2022
ABSTRACT: The motives behind the economic value in human behavior are a topic of
longstanding foci of research interest. Two motives, self-interest and altruism
influence in different degrees in form of inclusive fitness in natural
selection and contribute in determining and reasoning the values in human
societies. We elaborate how inclusive fitness (self-interest and altruism) shapes
the values, and behavior resulting
sustainability of species and ecosystems. We argue self-interest and
altruism combine in different scales that determine human values. The concept
of value in economic analysis changes over time with the development and
influence of other disciplines and in economics, propagates in more multi-disciplinary way per se in
ecological economics currently. Animal behavior studies provide examples
that value originated as result of natural selection in animals as a biological
process. The paper contributes to the debate on how natural selection generates
the mechanism of surviving which in turn originates in particular existence
value, option value and values which support the sustainability of ecosystems.