WRITING THIS book made me realize how much altruism has been a central question throughout my career, from my first paper on group selection as a graduate student to my current studies of human altruism in the context of everyday life. I therefore have a lot of people and organizations to thank. In the interest of brevity, Elliott Sober, Christopher Boehm, and Elinor Ostrom deserve special mention for their foundational contributions to the study of altruism. It has been an honor and privilege to work with them.
Altruism requires becoming part of something larger than oneself. I would therefore like to thank two organizations: EvoS, Binghamton University’s campuswide evolutionary studies program that has grown into a multi-institution consortium, and the Evolution Institute, the first think tank that formulates public policy from a modern evolutionary perspective. I helped to create these organizations and know well how many people generously contributed their time and effort. I am especially grateful to Jerry Lieberman and Bernard Winograd for their help bringing the Evolution Institute into existence.
Among funding organizations, the John Templeton Foundation (JTF) deserves special mention. Its mission to fund scientific research on “The Big Questions” is unique, and many of its projects would have virtually no chance of being supported by more conventional funding agencies. In addition, topics identified by JTF frequently enter the scientific mainstream after JTF has led the way. I met Sir John Templeton only once, at a workshop on the concept of purpose that he attended, and I was struck by his pragmatism in addition to his focus on the Big Questions. My focus on altruism defined in terms of action and in the context of everyday life is in the same spirit.
I have been surrounded by altruists in my own life, which makes it easy to be an altruist in return. My love to them all.