Consider some results from Vernon Smith's economics laboratory. Selfless behavior may increase the chances that one's genes will survive. For Ridley, sociobiology holds the key to explaining cooperation. Of course, we may not be as selfless in relation to people more and more distant from us, but the propensity of people is to be on the lookout for cooperation. Consciously or implicitly, we all share a belief in pursuing the greater good.
Social ostracism raises the returns from having a reputation for cooperating.
The reward of cooperation, and the temptation of defection, are forbidden to those who do not demonstrate trustworthiness and build a reputation for it. According to Ridley, private property is the institution that makes cooperation more likely. With property rights to land, water, wildlife, and other resources well specified, individuals can gain from trade and will have reasons to cooperate with one another to enjoy those gains. His analysis leaves little if any room for individual choice. The book deals more with cooperation than with virtue.