creed of reason
Caveat: it helps if you’ve read The Selfish Gene, preferrably the Anniversary Edition.
If you’re interested in evolution, selfish genes, gene expression, and genetic accomodation, you really should follow this ongoing discussion (in order of publication):
- David Dobbs: “Die, Selfish Gene, Die!”
- PZ: “Higher Order Thinking”
- Jerry Coyne: “David Dobbs Mucks Up Evolution, Part I”
- Richard Dawkins: “Adversarial Journalism and The Selfish Gene” [Original text no longer online as RDF redesigned its site, and by “redesign” they meant erasing ten years worth of links, posts, discussions, articles, contributions, attributions, and community history.]
- Jerry Coyne: “David Dobbs Mucks Up Evolution, Part II”
- PZ: “The Reification of the Gene”
Wot I Think:
The selfish gene is “dead” if, and only if, you haven’t read The Selfish Gene closely enough. Dobbs’s piece seems indeed both “adversarial” and, at times, outright shoddy. (I haven’t yet read West-Eberhard’s much-quoted Developmental Plasticity and Evolution, critized by Coyne, but held in high esteem by Richard, from which Dobbs develops part of his argument). Yet, PZ also makes a very important point: that even if the “Selfish Gene” is still valid as a lense through which to look at evolution, it doesn’t give us the whole picture. There are huge gaps in our knowledge, and that’s why we should try and explore new territory, including new metaphors.
Not only will following this discussion give you some insights into how genes work, what gene expression is all about, how we are shaped by the environment through our genes, and a much better understanding of the “nature vs. nurture” discussion’s false dichotomy—you will also understand why the typical news headline screaming “Gene X has been found to cause Y!” is naïve at best, and total bullshit at worst.
If you have something valuable to add or some interesting point to discuss, I’ll be looking forward to meeting you at Mastodon!
I don’t believe that there is perfect gene or the best gene whatsoever. Many people I met claim that they have the best genes. Observing what they do in life… I surely disagree with them.
Of course there isn’t, you’re right! How “good” your genes are depends on many factors, including the environment/context plus gene expression. Also, people can engage in infinitely numerous ways of stupid behavior, regardless of their genes!
(That said, there are certainly genetic dispositions that are worse than others. But there’s no “best gene” or “worst gene” indeed.)