Richard Dawkinson’s The Selfish Gene argues for the selfishness of genes, but explains that integration is a more appropriate interpretation of how genes evolved. The integration of genes can better explain natural selection and the cooperative behavior of living things.
In his book The Selfish Gene, world-renowned scientist and author Richard Dawkinson presents a new paradigm for evolutionary theory. By interpreting Darwin’s theories of survival of the fittest and natural selection at the genetic level, Dawkins overturned the conventional view of the individual or species as the unit of evolution. He argued that all living things are “survival machines” created by genes, and that they act selfishly to pass on their genes to future generations. He also explained that the essential purpose of genes is survival and competition, and that genes are selfish, even though they do not have a will. However, if survival and competition are the essential purposes of genes, why is there so much cooperation in our society and ecosystems, and why do humans and animals prefer to cooperate so much? These phenomena are not calculated behaviors, as Dawkinson claimed, but the inherent purpose of genes themselves. Therefore, in this article, I will explain why the nature of genes is integration, not selfishness, through Darwin’s theory of natural selection and the evolution of genes, and argue that integrative genes are a more correct theory, highlighting areas that the ‘selfish gene’ misinterpreted or failed to explain.
First, to define integration clearly, it means the tendency to aggregate in the environment. The property of genes to aggregate with their surroundings comes from Darwin’s theory of natural selection. Natural selection is the theory that individuals in nature compete to survive and leave offspring, which is supported by the theory of gene mutation. Dawkinson interpreted Darwin’s theory of evolution using the gene as the basic unit, arguing that genes compete and survive for the purpose of replication, and that the evolutionary nature of genes is selfish, if not actually volitional. While I agree with Dawkinson that the unit of evolution is the gene, I disagree with his interpretation of gene selfishness. Individuals, the basic unit of Darwin’s theory, have free will and the ability to compete, but genes are not objects that survive and compete, but objects that are selected by nature. In other words, genes must prioritize their integration into their environment over survival and competition.
In the evolution of genes, genes aggregated to become chromosomes, chromosomes aggregated to form genomes, and genomes cooperated to form cells. Cells aggregated to form colonies, and colonies aggregated to form complex cells (multicellular), which in turn formed the organisms we see today. This shows how important integration has been in the evolution of genes. While it is possible that genes were selfish and formed chromosomes to survive, a more appropriate and natural explanation is that genes were integrative and evolved to adapt to their environment and cohere with each other.
After the evolution from genes to organisms, integration is also prioritized in the evolution of organisms. As evolution progresses, we see colonial societies such as ants and bees, flocking phenomena in birds, herding behavior in mammals, and most importantly, the densely populated societies of humans, who are at the pinnacle of evolution. We live in a society where we can’t do anything alone, and it’s not an exaggeration to say that we’re cooperative creatures. Many scholars and academics argue that organisms that live in groups are more stable and evolved. This reflects the integrative nature of the genes responsible for evolution. Of course, as Dawkinson argues, this could be explained as a side effect of prioritizing survival and competition, but the ecosystems that evolution has revealed emphasize integration.
We now turn our attention to the culture and altruistic behavior of humans as a result of genetic integration. Dawkinson introduced the concept of memes to explain human culture. Memes, like genes, prioritize their own replication and spread through imitation. However, the concept of memes lacks a specific and precise definition and is difficult to accept as a scientific concept. It is also an incomplete concept that was introduced to explain phenomena that cannot be explained by the selfishness of genes.
The reason why human beings come together to form integrated societies, do good deeds and perform altruistic acts is because our genetic instincts are aimed at integration rather than selfishness. According to the theory of genetic integrity, evolved human beings form societies and cultures that allow them to cohere, share, and feel secure, and perform good deeds and altruistic acts for each other. This supports the idea that human evolution is moving in the direction of becoming more connected and integrated.
Richard Dawkinson’s book The Selfish Gene presented a new paradigm for evolutionary theory, explaining many biological phenomena. However, Dawkinson’s interpretation of Darwin’s theory of natural selection and the nature of genes is incorrect. Since the unit of evolutionary theory has changed from individuals to genes, the content must also change from selfishness to unity. If we look at the evolution of genes, we can see that integration is prioritized over selfishness. The meme theory, which was incompletely explained by the selfishness of genes, can be explained naturally according to the integration theory. If we study life phenomena through the concept of integrative genes, we will be able to provide better explanations.
