Cooperation and conflict in general evolutionary processes

In May 1992, within the Arctic Circle and under the midnight sun, a small group of researchers from diverse disciplines met to study one of the most fundamental questions of existence: What are the roles of conflict and cooperation in the evolution of life? The answers that came - from such fields as physics, literature, biology, economics, linguistics, and computer science - shed new light on this very old question. Sponsored by the Swedish Council for Planning and Coordination of Research, these internationally renowned scholars discussed and debated the complementary effects of individual self-interest and collective group interests. The twelve chapters in this volume, representing a wide range of perspectives, are the fruit of this meeting. They illustrate the dynamics of evolution and, contrary to many traditional ideas of nature, make a compelling case for the crucial role of cooperation in successful evolutionary adaptation. The fascination of this volume lies in watching the push and pull of conflict and cooperation play out in such areas as economic organization, computer science, the development of urban structures, the evolution of languages, and molecular formation in the primeval environment. Theoretical and evolutionary biologists, system theorists, economists, computer scientists, and mathematical modelers will find Cooperation and Conflict in General Evolutionary Processes a provocative and stimulating book that may open new perspectives on their own work.