The Selfish Gene
Humans are merely survival machines programmed to carry out the genes' desire for replication.
December 1, 2021
The Selfish Gene
Richard Dawkins
Eulyoo Publishing
2023-01-30
9788932473901
Review
This book must have provided both tremendous shock and inspiration since its publication.
It presents an innovative perspective that sees the subject of evolution not as the individual or species but as the gene, completely reinterpreting the reason for existence and the nature of all living things, including humans, from a completely new angle.
Things that were mistakenly thought of as organisms acting for the survival and prosperity of their species can be surprisingly explained when interpreted from the perspective of
We should view the unit of natural selection as the gene.
I can imagine how many people felt uncomfortable reading this book.
It presents the shocking perspective that all living things, including humans, are merely vehicles or survival machines used temporarily by genes to preserve, transport, and spread themselves.
Altruistic behavior is also a calculation of the
Parents sacrificing for their children is because the child carries half of their genes.
In other words, protecting the survival machine (child) that harbors my genes is ultimately a 'selfish' strategy that is more advantageous for leaving my genes to future generations.
This is explained by the theory of kin selection and clearly unravels the reason why one shows more altruistic behavior toward close relatives who are highly likely to share genes with them.
However, it seems to be a bit of an uncomfortable truth.
In this book, the author coined the concept of the meme.
A meme is a cultural gene that jumps between people's brains through replication like a gene, and ideas, religions, fashions, and song melodies all correspond to memes.
However, while things that arise and disappear quickly like today are called memes, this is being used as a slightly different concept from the meme presented by the author.
One faces a bit of a cold truth, but it rather helps in understanding the psychology of oneself and others.
If you need to explain the reasons for the behavior of not only humans but all living things, this book will be of great help.
It presents an innovative perspective that sees the subject of evolution not as the individual or species but as the gene, completely reinterpreting the reason for existence and the nature of all living things, including humans, from a completely new angle.
Things that were mistakenly thought of as organisms acting for the survival and prosperity of their species can be surprisingly explained when interpreted from the perspective of
genes.We should view the unit of natural selection as the gene.
I can imagine how many people felt uncomfortable reading this book.
It presents the shocking perspective that all living things, including humans, are merely vehicles or survival machines used temporarily by genes to preserve, transport, and spread themselves.
Altruistic behavior is also a calculation of the
selfish gene.Parents sacrificing for their children is because the child carries half of their genes.
In other words, protecting the survival machine (child) that harbors my genes is ultimately a 'selfish' strategy that is more advantageous for leaving my genes to future generations.
This is explained by the theory of kin selection and clearly unravels the reason why one shows more altruistic behavior toward close relatives who are highly likely to share genes with them.
However, it seems to be a bit of an uncomfortable truth.
In this book, the author coined the concept of the meme.
A meme is a cultural gene that jumps between people's brains through replication like a gene, and ideas, religions, fashions, and song melodies all correspond to memes.
However, while things that arise and disappear quickly like today are called memes, this is being used as a slightly different concept from the meme presented by the author.
One faces a bit of a cold truth, but it rather helps in understanding the psychology of oneself and others.
If you need to explain the reasons for the behavior of not only humans but all living things, this book will be of great help.