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“…genes cannot be selfish or unselfish, any more t han atoms can be jealous." Discuss

Heya folks,

Currently i've got an essay title:
“…genes cannot be selfish or unselfish, any more than atoms can be jealous, elephants abstract or biscuits teleological.” Discuss this statement.

But i'm not really sure what to write for it, obviously i've read the selfish gene, and will read into the quote by Mary Midgley, and start with outlining how the selfish gene is a metaphor. But any chance you guys can give me some recommended reading, i'm quite confused tbh :s-smilie:

Cheers :top:
Reply 1
Mary Midgley is an example of what Segerstrale would call "moral reading", i.e. people whose comprehension of a book is distorted by their moral stance or desire to discredit the author of the work.
(Pretty much like the "Against Sociobiology" crowd that dowsed Wilson with water at a conference and tried to link him to genocide and naziism and all that.)

Basically, she didn't read TSG with any degree of rigour, if at all. All too many people have jumped to the assumption that Dawkins was referring to subjective emotions - rather than behaviourist description.

Check out Dawkins's rebuttal to Mary Midgley.
Reply 2
PrimateJ
Mary Midgley is an example of what Segerstrale would call "moral reading", i.e. people whose comprehension of a book is distorted by their moral stance or desire to discredit the author of the work.
(Pretty much like the "Against Sociobiology" crowd that dowsed Wilson with water at a conference and tried to link him to genocide and naziism and all that.)

Basically, she didn't read TSG with any degree of rigour, if at all. All too many people have jumped to the assumption that Dawkins was referring to subjective emotions - rather than behaviourist description.

Check out Dawkins's rebuttal to Mary Midgley.

Yeah, i inferred that much from the comment tbh. I didn't know Dawkins did a rebuttle, thanks! Is there anything else i should be reading for it?
:smile:

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