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.
Technological civilizations that transmit signals for the benefit of
others, but with no immediate gain for themselves, certainly seem to be
altruistic. But does this make biological sense? Should we expect
altruism to evolve throughout the cosmos, or is this only wishful
thinking? Is it dangerous to send messages to other worlds, as Stephen
Hawking has suggested, or might humankind benefit from an exchange with
intelligence elsewhere in the galaxy? Would extraterrestrial societies
be based on different ethical principles, or would we see commonalities
with Earthly notions of morality? 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.
