A Reformulation of Utility Theory of it All Comes from Sex

T.G. Moore

Working Papers from Stanford - Hoover Institution

Abstract: This paper outlines the origins of the utility function in terms of evolution and sexual selection. Altruistic behaviour between non-kin is found to be a result of a stable tit-for-tat solution to the prisoners' dilemma, combined with reputation effects, and an evolutionary drive to promote group loyalty. Group loyalty explains true altruistic behavior, religion, and ethnic tensions. Economic implications from thie evolutionary psychological approach include positively sloped demand curves for a small number of goods, an explanation for risk taking by young men.

Keywords: RELIGION; GROUPS; UTILITY FUNCTION (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A12 B41 D11 D63 D64 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 1997

There are no downloads for this item, see the EconPapers FAQ for hints about obtaining it.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: http://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:fth:stanho:e-97-2

Access Statistics for this paper

More papers in Working Papers from Stanford - Hoover Institution
Address: STANFORD UNIVERSITY, HOOVER INSTITUTION, DOMESTIC STUDIES PROGRAM,DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMICS, STANFORD CALIFORNIA 94305 U.S.A.
Contact information at EDIRC.
Series data maintained by Thomas Krichel ().