The Selfish Gene
"We are survival machines—robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve selfish
molecules known as genes."
-- Richard Dawkins, The Selfish Gene (1).
Can genes alone determine your DNA's place in the next generation? Are humans simply vessels for these genes?
With his provoking work entitled The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins attempts to answer such questions as he proposes a shift in the evolutionary paradigm. Working through the metaphor of a "selfish gene", Dawkins constructs an evolutionary model using a gene as the fundamental unit of selection, opposed to the more commonly accepted belief of the species as the unit of selection.
This "selfish gene", possessing a certain selfish emotional nature, acts as an independent entity fighting to ensure its replication in future generations, maximizing its number of descendents (2). Those successful in replicating have made the most of their given environment (1). For the interests of this paper, is it valid to assume that natural selection occurs at the level of DNA? Hence, what can be implied about genetic predispositions?
For Dawkins, evolution of a species is dependent upon the transmittance of this information to the next generation; the individual species is irrelevant (2). This theory is a departure from Charles Darwin's theory of evolution, which concentrates on the species. Species, to Dawkins, are "survival machines" whose purpose is to host these genes, as species are mortals and fleeting, whereas genes are not (2).
Is it valid to assume Dawkins position that humans are merely "robot vehicles"? This concept, alienating emotion, physical, and cultural growth from evolution, can be startling. By placing the importance of natural selec...
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... , The opening pages of and selections from Dawkins work
http://www.world-of-dawkins.com/Dawkins<br>/Work/Books/selfpage.htm
2)The Selfish Gene Theory, Explanatory site providing overview of theory
http://bovination.com/cbs/selfishGene%20Theory.jsp
3) The Selfish Gene?" Reason in Revolt , Genetic issues and Dawkins discussed
http://www.marxist.com/rircontents.asp
Works Consulted
4) In Defense of Selfish Genes , Dawkins refute to claims made about his theory by Mary Midgely
http://www.royalinstitutephilosophy.org/articles/dawkins_genes.htm
5) Selfish Genes and Social Darwinism , Counterarguments for Selfish Gene Theory
http://www.royalinstitutephilosophy.org/articles/%20midgley_genes.htm
6) The Selfish Gene: The Underpinnings of Narcissism , Further discussion and implications on Selfish Gene Theory
http://samvak.tripod.com/journal43.
Although the tornado of 10 June 1938 has been known about, at least anecdotally, within the scientific community since it was brought to light in 1939 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, this potentially rich source of historic information has lain fallow. It is within this rich field of mobile, American thinking that we undertake this effort. A team of scientists with courage, brains, and even heart brought the resources to bear on the challenge.
...ks, “Devil’s Knot” and “Untying the Knot”, and seeing both points of view from each author, Leveritt and Day, it is clear that John Mark Byers and the West Memphis Three are both innocent. “Devil’s Knot,” exposed the faults in the convictions of Damien, Jason and Jesse. It also demonstrated the truth about police coercion. “Untying the Knot,” revealed the harsh influence of the media and how that influence can faultily accuse someone based on no evidence. Hence, there is no hard evidence or even any evidence at all linking Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jesse Misskelley Jr. to the crimes. It is also the same for John Mark Byers. To this day, there is still a malicious killer somewhere walking the streets as a free human being, and whether he will be found or not is impossible to predict. In the end, The West Memphis Three earned their freedom and so did Mr. Byers.
On May 20th, 2013 a EF 5 tornado hit Moore, Oklahoma and surrounding towns, with a path as wide as 1.3 miles wide (2.1 km) and had a wind speed, estimated at its peak, of 210 miles per hour (340 km/h). Killing 24 people, and injuring 377, this was one of the United States worst tornadoes in the past few years, along side the Joplin, Missouri tornado, in 2011. One of Mother Nature’s most dangerous and still very mysterious phenomenons averages about 1,200 reported each year, resulting in 80 deaths and injuring 1500. With very little known about them, especially whether or not they will form is one of the questions that plague meteorologist to this very day. What causes tornadoes, how does the tilt and gravity of the earth affect the winds to produce a tornado, and what will the future hold about our understanding of tornadoes?
Darwin: A Norton Critical Edition, Second Edition ; ed. by Philip Appleman; copyright 1979, 1970 by W.W. Norton & Company, Inc.
Man is the product of heredity and environment and that he acts as his machine responds to outside stimuli and nothing else, seem amply proven by the evolution and history of man. Every process of nature and life is a continuous sequence of cause and effect (156).
In chapter one of “The Selfish Gene,” Dawkins speaks about how Darwin was the first person to develop a good theory to answer the question of “why are people?” he goes on to explain how Darwin explained that evolution occurs when a person has the qualities that allow humans to survive at the expense of other individuals. In addition, he writes of how Darwin explains how to pass on genes, generation after generation, through offspring. Everyone knows of Darwin’s theory of evolution, but Dawkins tries to introduce a particular interpretation of the evolutionary process. He believes that evolution should not be studied at the level of singular individuals or groups, but instead at the level of genes. He also believed that there are two main characteristics of genes manifested during the struggle for survi...
Tornadoes are devastating atmospheric events that affect the ecology and the lives of people in their paths. Tornadoes are defined as “a violently rotating column of air, in contact with the ground, either pendant from a cumuliform cloud or underneath a cumuliform cloud, and often (but not always) visible as a funnel cloud” (Glossary of Meterology, 2011). The Tri-state tornado was the most deadly tornado in the United States. It stayed on the ground for a total of 219 miles through areas of Missouri, Illinois, and Indiana, killed a total of 695 people, and an estimated $16.5 million in damages (National Weather Service, 2011). Luckily, the tornado’s path was largely rural farmland with scattered small towns between them.
Two people are credited with this wonderful invention: Dr. Hans von Ohain (German) and Sir Frank Whittle (British). Ohain actually created the first engine while Whittle was the first to acquire a patent in 1930. However, Ohain’s jet was the first to fly in 1939, while Whittle was able to get his in the air in 1941. Ohain’s jet engine was tested in a lab in Sep. 1937 and first tested on a plane developed by Ernst Heinkel the Heinkel He178 on Aug. 27th, 1939. The Firm, Power Jets Ltd., got a contract for Whittle’s engine, the W1, July 7th, 1939. The Maiden flight was on May 15th, 1941 with pilot Lieutenant P. E. G. Sayer flying the craft, the Gloster E28/39. The craft flew at roughly 400 mph and the engine produced 1000lbs.
The purpose of this academic piece is to critically discuss The Darwinist implication of the evolutionary psychological conception of human nature. Charles Darwin’s “natural selection” will be the main factor discussed as the theory of evolution was developed by him. Evolutionary psychology is the approach on human nature on the basis that human behavior is derived from biological factors and there are psychologists who claim that human behavior is not something one is born with but rather it is learned. According to Downes, S. M. (2010 fall edition) “Evolutionary psychology is one of the many biologically informed approaches to the study of human behavior”. This goes further to implicate that evolutionary psychology is virtually based on the claims of the human being a machine that can be programmed to do certain things and because it can be programmed it has systems in the body that allow such to happen for instance the nervous system which is the connection of the spinal cord and the brain and assists in voluntary and involuntary motor movements.
The metaphor behind Dawkins' theory can best be described by his opening statement: "we are survival machines-robot vehicles blindly programmed to preserve the selfish molecules known as genes" (Barlow 193). Dawkins links the natural behavior of unconscious bunches of nucleic acid (genes) to human behavior and personality by calling them "selfish." His use of this term conjures up the image of a separate individual, capable of making decisions to help its own good and disregarding our needs. By calling human beings "survival machines" and "robots," Dawkins suggests some serious moral implications regarding our existence. If we were just robots, it would seem that we would be no longer responsible for our actions, as people could attribute all evil to the gene programmers who created these robots. Also, if our primary purpose were to serve as a "survival machine" for something else, life would seem insignificant. John Maynard Smith writes that Dawkins' book is just about evolution, and "not about morals . . . or about the human sciences" (195). However, the attempt to disengage the selfish gene theory from its moral implications is seriously undermined by Dawkins' metaphors.
The damage toll came in around seventeen million dollars and was on the ground for three and half strenuous hours. (History.com) This brings the damage to around eight thousand dollars a minute in damages. If it were possible to take the same damage that was brought on that day and adjust it to the year 1997 it would be approximately 1.4 billion dollars. The Tri-State Tornado was part of a deadly outbreak of tornados that produced several deadly ones all on the same day. A total of 747 facilities and 2,298 injuries were reported, with the majority associated with the Tri-State
In Richard Dawkins’s essay about Darwin’s wasp, he makes an argument that nature’s role is to ensure DNA survival. The inductive argument begins by observing the behavior of the wasp. As Dawkins observes, the wasp inserts its stinger into the central nervous system of the caterpillar and paralyzes it. Then the wasp implants larva. The larvae eat the caterpillar alive. This may seem cruel to the human mind if we apply the concept of suffering to this process, but ultimately, this is nature at work. He cites several primary sources of data including the behavior of the wasp to the cheetah and the gazelle. This inductive thought process illustrates and supports Darwin’s theory of natural selection.
Richard Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist, and a prominent figure for atheism. Author of the book “The God Delusion”, Dawkins believes that the whole concept of God and Christianity is completely man made for our own entertainment. Dawkins is considered a pioneer for “new atheism” where they believe that the whole idea of religion is pure evil. Richard Dawkins’ beliefs on evolution and the non-existence of God can be seen through his concept of social issues, family, and the nature of God. This paper will be a disagreement piece that will entail a comparison of my beliefs to his; pertaining to Christian principles.
Alliances are friendships between countries. In the years before World War 1 countries were constantly making alliances. All of the alliances at first were to protect each other if attacked by France. Italy then made a secret alliance with France saying that they wouldn’t aide Germany. All this commotion caused the formation of two giant alliances. The first alliance was the Triple Entente, which included Russia, France, and Great Britain. The second one was known as the Triple Alliance and it included Germany, Italy, the Ottoman Empire, and Austria-Hungary. The only issue with these alliances is that Italy also had an alliance with France, which made Italy alliances of both alliance groups. All of these alliances caused Germany to feel threatened for their power and existence. Germany was in alliance with Italy, but they couldn’t completely trust them when they also had an alliance with France. This brought tension throughout the two alliances, which ultimately caused World War 1.
Second of all, both Hurricanes and Tornadoes have extremely fast winds. According to sources 3 and 4, Tornadoes have turbo winds that exceed 300 miles per hour, as do Hurricanes. A Tornado can cause mass destruction similar to a Hurricane. So destructive in fact, that they can both cause millions, if not billions