Darwin's Special Difficulty

The Prompt

Trace the scientific history of altruism as a problem, from Darwin's acknowledgment that self-sacrifice posed a "special difficulty" for natural selection, through Hamilton's kin selection (1964), Trivers's reciprocal altruism (1971), the group selection controversy (D.S. Wilson, E.O. Wilson), to the effective altruism movement. Explain why each theory advanced the conversation and what residual puzzle it left for the next generation.

Completion Criteria

A historical narrative covering Darwin, Hamilton, Trivers, the group selection debate, and effective altruism, with accurate dates and publications, showing the logical progression from each theory's contribution to its unresolved remainder.

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