[nosuchthing]

Pack animals like dogs naturally discourage fighting amongst themselves [1]. Strife weakens the pack.

Consider the effort it takes 1 person to build a house, or the amount of effort it would take to build an mp3 player alone from scratch.

Game theory would have you believe the optimal way to win at poker is to booby trap the card table and rob your competition.

[1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hstLdzCg6l8

[elektronjunge]

Correct and there are games that model that behavior, for instance iterated stag hunt[1]. This shows the benefits of cooperation for pack animals much more than the classic prisoner's dilemma. Of course you could construct a more detailed game that includes factors like defense and having a single leader that would be even closer to reality. The math behind game theory is right, its a question of whether we have chosen the right game to play.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stag_hunt

[nosuchthing]

There's a theory that suggests altruism ultimately trumps selfishness within species, as aggressive warlike creatures would kill each other off ad-infinitum, where as cooperation ultimately strengthens individuals beyond the sum of their parts. [1]

[1] http://www.radiolab.org/story/103951-the-good-show/