Question

Dawkins and altruism. What would Dawkins say to the notion that people are NOT altruistic.

The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins:

Answer 1

Richard Dawkins argues that the theory of 'Survival of the fittest' does not go well with the altruistic behavioural theory in humans. He says that both the theories are in contradiction to each other. Further, he says that the empathetic feelings a person feels towards needy people were not present in humans from the start because fellow humans were a competition to others and altruistic behaviours do not support the survival of the fittest. He argues that it may have been evolved through the time when human societies developed. He says that as humans gained reason and resources, and thought to preserve their valuables, did this gene of altruistic behaviours evolve. He says that the genes are designed to be selfish, to preserve oneself first and this would have given rise to selfish individuals and not ones who displayed altruism. He further argues that altruism is also a selfish way for a gene to replicate and leave as many copies of itself as it possibly can, under given circumstances. He says that altruism maybe not an effect of a gene, but the means to carry its lineage forward. He includes mutualism and co-evolution in his argument. He says that altruistic behaviours promote groups which increase survival rates for people, but these groups act only as a vehicle, and not an as an end.