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Why Nature and Science are both negative. Or: Is it better to reward or punish?

Mallet, J; (1995) Why Nature and Science are both negative. Or: Is it better to reward or punish? Faculty of Life Sciences Green open access

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Abstract

Machiavelli felt that punishments were more effective than rewards. However, Machiavelli's explanation is unconvincing: "...the bond of love is one which people, base creatures that they are, break when it is to their advantage; but fear is strengthened by a dread of punishment which never fails". This conclusion is paradoxical because rewards and punishments with equal fitness ratios will seem equal to recipients, which should quickly evolve to perceive these ratios. In natural selection, it is the proportional, rather than the absolute fitness that is important.

Type: Report
Title: Why Nature and Science are both negative. Or: Is it better to reward or punish?
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
Publisher version: https://archives.ucl.ac.uk/CalmView/Record.aspx?sr...
Language: English
Additional information: This version is the author accepted manuscript. For information on re-use, please refer to the publisher’s terms and conditions.
Keywords: Behavioural Ecology, Sociobiology, Natural selection, Machiavelli, Population genetics
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Life Sciences > Div of Biosciences > Genetics, Evolution and Environment
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/1571123
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