Lack of information is a constraint but ignorance can sometimes assist the evolution of cooperation by constraining selfishness. We discuss examples involving both ignorance of role or pay-off and ignorance of relatedness. Ignorance can favour cooperative traits like grouping and warning coloration and reduce conflicts from meiotic drive, imprinting, greenbeards and various forms of nepotism.

Abstract It is argued that the two main accounts of ignorance in contemporary literature—in terms lack knowledge and true belief—are lacking key respects. A new way thinking about offered can accommodate motivations for both standard views, but which process also avoids problems afflict these proposals. In short, this account incorporates idea essentially involves not just absence a certain epi...