Antagonism represents a puzzling theme from an evolutionary perspective. Traits such as those associated with psychopathy impose an incredibly high cost on our species, despite their very low prevalence. Many scholars have suggested various hypotheses, almost always linking them to an individual advantage driven by aggressive and antisocial behaviors.
At the 65th edition of the Mind & Brain Congress, I presented an evolutionary model of antagonism. In this model, the starting point differs from the traditional individual-focused approach. While selection is almost always discussed in individual terms—from classical formulations to Dawkins’ famous selfish gene—alternative models have gained ground in recent decades. On one hand, there is a clear need to view selection in multilevel or hierarchical terms (genes, individuals, groups, species); on the other hand, culture and the social domain are increasingly understood in evolutionary terms, representing a sort of analog to the genome.
In this sense, an evolutionary model of antagonism can be explained by looking at the dynamics between groups and cultures within our species. In this presentation, I introduce the initial version of a model I am currently developing, starting precisely from the importance of considering the fitness landscape in multidimensional terms, and using this expanded perspective to understand personality traits in our species.