Evolutionary game theory and contractualist models demonstrate that rational agents often have clear incentives to develop moral and cooperative behaviors.
The retrieved literature consistently supports the claim that evolutionary and game-theoretic mechanisms (such as assortative matching, direct reciprocity, institutional incentives, and contractualist decision-making) can favor the emergence and stability of moral and cooperative behavior among rational agents. Multiple papers provide formal modeling and empirical support showing how cooperation and fairness evolve rather than merely being altruistic anomalies.