"[I]t would not be unreasonable to say that in Japan the average intelligent layman's understanding of evolution stems in great measure from the writings and innumerable interviews given by Imanishi." (English paleontologist, Lambert Beverly Halstead, Nature, 1985)
Kinji Imanishi (1902-1992) was a Japanese ecologist and anthropologist. The particular focus of his life's work was the evolution of whole societies of species, and he stood in opposition to the idea that evolution was driven by individuals.
This was a radical stance, considering the idea he opposed was Charles Darwin's.
Darwin held that all species of organisms evolved from common ancestry through the process of natural selection, which involved competition amongst individuals in the struggle for survival.
On the point of common ancestry, Imanishi agreed, but as Halstead wrote: "[Imanishi] sees the group and not the individual as of fundamental importance in evolution, he does not see struggle in nature but rather the underlying harmony."
In Imanishi's version of evolution, the notion of survival of the fittest supported cooperation rather than competition.
Halstead, along with much of the scientific profession, thought Imanishi's vision was only a dream. It's largely ignored today, except on occasions when some hope is needed.
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