Extraterrestrial Altruism: Evolution and Ethics in the Cosmos 2014th Edition

From the book reviews:

“This volume, edited by Vakoch (SETI Institute; California Institute of Integral Studies) is an unusual collection of 19 articles by researchers in diverse fields such as anthropology, astrophysics, history of science, engineering, computer science, environmental science, psychology, philosophy, nuclear warfare, and dolphin research. … This book gives a broad perspective on the human condition and will be enjoyable to readers with a wide range of interests. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All academic, general, and professional readers.” (T. Barker, Choice, Vol. 52 (4), December, 2014)

Extraterrestrial Altruism examines a basic assumption of the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI): that extraterrestrials will be transmitting messages to us for our benefit. This question of whether extraterrestrials will be altruistic has become increasingly important in recent years as SETI scientists have begun contemplating transmissions from Earth to make contact.

Should we expect altruism to evolve throughout the cosmos, or is this only wishful thinking? Would this make biological sense? Is it dangerous to send messages to other worlds, as Stephen Hawking has suggested? Would extraterrestrial societies be based on different ethical principles? Extraterrestrial Altruism explores these and related questions about the motivations of civilizations beyond Earth, providing new insights that are critical for SETI.

Chapters are authored by leading scholars from diverse disciplines―anthropology, astronomy, biology, chemistry, computer science, cosmology, engineering, history of science, law, philosophy, psychology, public policy, and sociology. The book is carefully edited by Douglas Vakoch, Director of Interstellar Message Composition at the SETI Institute and professor of clinical psychology at the California Institute of Integral Studies. The Foreword is by Frank Drake.

This interdisciplinary book will benefit everybody trying to understand whether evolution and ethics are unique to Earth, or whether they are built into the fabric of the universe.