Intergroup selection as a way to peace and sustainability

Abstract

Due to an increasing demand for resources that exceeds the biophysical system’s ability to regenerate itself (Wackernagel et al., 2021), environmental resources are under stress, and society faces uncertainties related to their scarcity and climate change that can lead to violent conflicts. This context raises questions about mechanisms to understand the phenomenon and adapt. Therefore, Fisher and Rucki’s (2017) approach becomes relevant: economic development, ecosystem functioning, peace, and conflict management are necessary components of sustainability, but how they work together is not well understood. To address this issue, a theoretical path is proposed based on three approaches: sustainability transition, complexity economics, and peace from a vision of complex systems. By promoting cooperative behaviors through intergroup selection processes, progress can be made toward sustainability and the emergence of peace as a stable behavior.