Joe Felsenstein wrote:-

> >JMcG:-
> >The reason I'm sure my money is safe is because 
> >Hamilton's rule is nonsense.  

> JF:-
> Then so are Hardy-Weinberg proportions, the approach to linkage 
> equilibrium,
> Haldane's selection curves, Wright's inbreeding coefficients, 
> Kimura's work
> with diffusion equations, etc. etc.  That is because McGinn's 
> objection is to
> all extant modeling in theoretical population genetics.  It is 
> not an objection
> specific to Hamilton's kin selection argument.

JE:
"Haldane's selection curves, Wright's inbreeding coefficients, 
Kimura's work with diffusion equations, etc. etc" represent
oversimplifications of total Darwinian fitness which (unlike 
any of the above) can be tested to refutation. Prof. Felsenstein 
and Jim McGinn are actually allies in this discussion. Both have 
thrown out Popperian refutation relying entirely on the 
witchcraft of verification/non verification. As far as 
Hamilton's Rule is concerned, unless the total fitness of 
the actor is put back into the rule (it was deleted
by the modelling process of over simplification) no
point of refutation can exist for the rule. Hamilton
remains in error by the amount m which represents the
baseline fitness deleted from the rule. Only one
condition exists that proves organism fitness altruism:

		rb-c > m 

This condition was deleted from the rule via the process
of modelling over simplification deleting at the same 
time the Darwinian maximand fitness. This maximand was not
replaced by any other, reducing the rule to non refutability.

The argument I have provided is both simple and refutable. 
I have posted it several times. People of integrity that
post here are now forced ask themselves why a person of 
Prof. Felsenstein's integrity refuses to answer it.


Regards,

John Edser
Independent Researcher

PO Box 266
Church Pt
NSW 2105
Australia

edser{at}tpg.com.au
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