"The Selfish Gene"

Paper Summary:

This paper discusses the arguments presented by Richard Dawkins in "The Selfish Gene," for a challenging new approach to the study of biology and evolution. The paper suggests that, upon examination, many of the objections to Dawkins' "The Selfish Gene" are based on misunderstandings or gross misrepresentations of Dawkins' original text. The paper discusses this interpretation.

From the Paper:

"Both ehtology and sociobiology consider the evolutionary advantages of certain behaviors. Ethology is specifically interested in studying animal behavior, though there is some overlap with psychology. Sociobiology, more broadly, argues that genes play a decisive role in the development of behaviors and that behaviors must be considered in terms of the evolutionary advantage that they offer individuals and species (Hergenhahn, 2005: pp. 559-565). Sociobiology in particular can be seen as the primary intelletual influence, or ally, for Dawkins in The Selfish Gene. Dawkins, too, argues that behavior must be considered in terms of its evolutionary advantage, paying particular attention to altruism and selfishness. His unique contribution to this field of study is his focus on individual genes as the most relevant building blocks of evolution and natural selection. It is not, by his characterization that people are animals that just happen to be made up of genes, but rather that genes just happened to organize themselves into people because this increased their chances for long-term survival."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Dawkins, R. (1976). The Selfish Gene. New York: Oxford University Press.
• Hergenhahn, B.R. (2005). An Introduction to the History of Psychology. 5th ed. Wadsworth-Thomson Learning.

More papers on "The Selfish Gene":

• Book Review # 110596 : "The Selfish Gene" and "Savage Inequalities"
• Book Review # 13714 : " The Selfish Gene" by Richard Dawkins"
• Term Paper # 121183 : "Cultural Evolution and Educational Inequalities"

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