In such cases, the evolutionary purpose of pain is to cause despair in order to encourage suicide or euthanasia so that resources are no longer wasted on an unfit member of society. It would be an obsolete function were hospital bills not so expensive in the United States.
Unless there is some clever kin selection pathway, there is no way for evolution to know of this benefit, as the genes that implement the suicide die with the host and can’t be selected for. If there is such a pressure to get rid of inefficient members to make room for the others, it’s easier to suppose that other members will get rid of the inefficient ones (or simply the ones unable to defend themselves).
Evolution is a hack, and pointless pain is there because it comes in a bundle with useful pain. That being said, if it were actually worth spending resources to keep an unfit individual functioning, such a change might eventually come about. And so evolution indirectly causes pointless paint to unfit individuals, because it allows it to continue happening.
In such cases, the evolutionary purpose of pain is to cause despair in order to encourage suicide or euthanasia so that resources are no longer wasted on an unfit member of society. It would be an obsolete function were hospital bills not so expensive in the United States.
Why would evolution react to the concerns of society? This line of argument seems like group selectionism to me.
Unless there is some clever kin selection pathway, there is no way for evolution to know of this benefit, as the genes that implement the suicide die with the host and can’t be selected for. If there is such a pressure to get rid of inefficient members to make room for the others, it’s easier to suppose that other members will get rid of the inefficient ones (or simply the ones unable to defend themselves).
Evolution is a hack, and pointless pain is there because it comes in a bundle with useful pain. That being said, if it were actually worth spending resources to keep an unfit individual functioning, such a change might eventually come about. And so evolution indirectly causes pointless paint to unfit individuals, because it allows it to continue happening.