Generosity and Survival

In chapter three of The Selfish Gene we learn that genes benefit from assisting their host. Richard Dawkins states that Genes who help their host are prone to survive. Meanwhile, the odds of survival of genes that choose not to assist their host are extremely low. With this, we can conclude that the body may only function as a whole, especially when it comes to genes.

Another fact stated by Dawkins in the chapter that although logical, continues to surprise me is that there is an uncountable number of plants, animals, and viruses. We probably have not discovered half of the viruses that affect humans and animals daily, which is shocking and terrifying. Will we ever acknowledge all of these viruses? How many living creatures will be killed by them before these viruses are discovered and cured?

We live in a society in which we no longer take our time to appreciate nature and the animals surrounding us. In fact, we have destroyed the habitat of these animals and have pushed them into endangered species lists, etc. It is important for us to understand that everything that we do affects most of these species and that if we do nothing to prevent the harming of the environment we will extinguish species we have not even discovered or acknowledged.

Could humans be similar to genes? If we do not assist animals and other living things in our surroundings will we have the risk of extinction?

Stability or Nothing?

            In the second chapter of The Selfish Gene we can see the importance of stability in life. Dawkins explains Darwin's theory of natural selection and opens a new perspective on the theory of evolution. Then, Dawkins goes into how the simplest forms of lives were created with atoms that required stability to survive. He furthermore explains that proteins are composed of amino acids, proving that complex molecules and other biological compounds develop from the simplest units.

            As I was reading, I realized how both of these biological facts are essential to a person psychologically as well. Not only because a malfunction in the human body biologically will most likely affect the brain, but also due to the fact that stability is essential to maintaining emotional balance and reaching success. How can one expect to taste victory when aspects of one's life are not in equilibrium?

            

           The fact of complex life forms forming from simple ones also relates psychologically to us. This is because we must understand that processes are one step at a time; you always start out small and grow from that. After all, how can you expect to understand engineering when you don't even know the basics of physics? 

The theory of evolution requires an understanding of both these ideas, as stability and development are basic biological factors. This is precisely why Dawkins goes into the subjects as an introduction to the topic. With the last sentence of chapter two we may predict that later on we are likely to learn about the evolution of humans in detail: "They have come a long way, those replicators. Now they go by the name of genes, and we are their survival machines." (pg. 20)