----------------- HES POSTING ----------------- A graduate student recently asked me the following question: In biology there is a theory called the Handicapped theory. It basically states that certain handicaps help males breed because females see this proof of their viability in other ways. The handicap of course is not a simple yes - no, but rather has gradations. By having many gradations, a handicap shows the relative fitness of say, males competing for a mate. such as how red a cardinal is. (Red is the handicap that attracts mates and predators). Anyway, in the book, _Narrow Roads of Gene Land vol. 2_ by W.D. Hamilton. Hamilton argues that the first, but very vague, version of this comes from Veblen's Theory of the Leisure Class. I didnt' realize that Veblen made that claim or that Veblen understood costly signalling at all. Is this well known in the history of thought literature? Is this something that Hamilton came up with? ------------ FOOTER TO HES POSTING ------------ For information, send the message "info HES" to [log in to unmask]