Evolution of Fairness:Rereading the Data

摘要

J. Henrich et al.'s research article ("Markets, religion, community size, and the evolution of fairness and punishment," 19 March, p. 1480) is a valuable addition to the growing literature testing behavioral hypotheses through careful cross-cultural measurement. However, the data they report falsify their theory. The authors propose that increases in third-party punishment of unfairness drove an increase in fairness norms, enabling the emergence of large-scale market economies. Critical to this theory is their hypothesis that exposure to third-party punishment actually elicits an increase in fairness.