How can evolution explain sacrifice? It makes little sense, from the stand point of evolution, for a human to sacrifice their life for another human.

looney_tunes

For social animals, the group is more significant for the defense of both the species and the individual members of the group than is any single individual. Hence, defense of the group can be seen as evolutionarily more significant than protection of one individual. This makes the sacrifice of an individual eminently sensible. This is true for many species of animals, and humans are only one example. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_animals http://atheism.about.com/b/2008/10/09/evolving-altruism-ants-sacrifice-selves-to-protect-colony.htm Jan 08 09, 1:32 PM

zbeckabee

According to the explanation Darwin brought to this conflicting situation, natural selection was realized not at the level of individual, but at the group level within certain groups. There is only a single explanation for a living being to put its own security and comfort at risk in order to work on providing security and comfort for members of the group it lives in: the social order of the group has been determined by a conscious designer and this designer has assigned different tasks for each member of the group. The members of the group abide by this task distribution and if necessary, sacrifice themselves. What is important is the survival of the order of the group. Darwin: Many instincts are so wonderful that their development will probably appear to the reader a difficulty sufficient to overthrow my whole theory. I may here premise that I have nothing to do with the origin of the mental powers, any more than I have with that of life itself. Above info pertains primarily to insects, however, there are broader implications: http://www.harunyahya.com/ant08.php Jan 08 09, 2:40 PM