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Richard Dawkins: How a Scientist Changed the Way We Think [Book Review]
International Herald Tribune ^ | 28 June 2006 | Nicholas Wade (reviewer)

Posted on 06/28/2006 5:16:22 PM PDT by PatrickHenry

Thirty years ago, the young Richard Dawkins set out to explain some new ideas in evolutionary biology to a wider audience. But he ended up restating Darwinian theory in such a broad and forceful way that his book has influenced specialists as well.

 
"Richard Dawkins: How a Scientist Changed the Way We Think" is a collection of essays about Dawkins' book "The Selfish Gene" and its impact.

[snip]

The biologists have copious praise for Dawkins's work of synthesis, while the writers remark on his graceful and vivid style. It is quite surprising for anyone to be commended from such opposite quarters, but "The Selfish Gene," published in 1976, was unusual. Written in clear and approachable language, it worked its way so logically into the core of Darwinian theory that even evolutionary biologists were seduced into embracing Dawkins's view of their world.

Dawkins's starting point was the idea that the gene, not the individual, is the basic unit on which natural selection acts. The gene's behavior is most easily understood by assuming its interest is to get itself replicated as much as possible - hence the "selfish" gene of the title.

[big snip]

Despite a fond appreciation in this volume from his local cleric, the bishop of Oxford, Dawkins has become known to a wider public as a rationalist and a vocal atheist with little time for forms of religious obscurantism like creationism.

[snip to the end]

(Excerpt) Read more at iht.com ...


TOPICS: Culture/Society; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: anothercrevothread; crevoslit; enoughalready; evolution; pavlovian; richarddawkins; selfishgene
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To: LiteKeeper
Dawkins has never implied that he was speaking allegorically...no way!

Are you suggesting, then, that Dawkins believes that genomes are sentient enough to have "intent"?
21 posted on 06/28/2006 7:30:35 PM PDT by Dimensio (http://angryflower.com/bobsqu.gif <-- required reading before you use your next apostrophe!)
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To: LiteKeeper
"Dawkins has never implied that he was speaking allegorically...no way!"

Yes he has. Do some homework before posting such obvious falsehoods.
22 posted on 06/28/2006 7:31:41 PM PDT by CarolinaGuitarman (Gas up your tanks!!)
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To: LiteKeeper
Implies sentience [a capacity for basic consciousness].

No it doesn't. Not even close. Read the book(s).
23 posted on 06/28/2006 8:00:11 PM PDT by Filo (Darwin was right!)
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To: stands2reason
Well, the first book is almost 8 years old, which is a bit long in the tooth for a prosperity-is-just-around-the-corner take on...well, anything.

The second one seems to take the attitude, "well, now that everyone agrees that this is real...". Yeeeeah.

24 posted on 06/28/2006 8:43:54 PM PDT by Physicist
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To: PatrickHenry

Sometimes I think I dislike Dawkins for his views on religion.

Sometimes I think it's just jealousy that he's banging Lalla Ward.


25 posted on 06/28/2006 8:47:31 PM PDT by Celtjew Libertarian
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To: Mogollon

Did he say that or did you say that? And if you say it, you must know a lot about the origin of life in order to know he doesn't know squat. And if that's the case, please enlighten me, because I'd like to know.


26 posted on 06/28/2006 9:06:44 PM PDT by furball4paws (Awful Offal)
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To: Rudder

Roto Rudder is back after a long hiatus. Welcome to the bloodbath :-)


27 posted on 06/28/2006 9:08:16 PM PDT by furball4paws (Awful Offal)
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To: Dimensio

Sounds like vitalism to me.


28 posted on 06/28/2006 9:10:49 PM PDT by RobbyS ( CHIRHO)
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To: LiteKeeper
"Dawkins has never implied that he was speaking allegorically...no way!"

Actually he was very clear and explicit in mentioning it was simply a tool to help understanding.

29 posted on 06/28/2006 9:10:59 PM PDT by b_sharp (There is always one more mess to clean up.)
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To: Celtjew Libertarian

Had to look that one up and I'm considering, due to my selfish genes, becoming an atheist.


30 posted on 06/28/2006 9:11:48 PM PDT by furball4paws (Awful Offal)
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To: PatrickHenry

Thanks for the ping!


31 posted on 06/28/2006 9:34:45 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: Physicist
I haven't yet read The Selfish Gene

It's an important work in and of itself. If you ever heard of the idea of the "meme" (a self replicating bit of information much like a "gene" but normally called an idea) this is where that idea was born. It leads to a whole new way of viewing culture and human thought.

32 posted on 06/28/2006 10:52:14 PM PDT by Nateman (Socialism: a deadly cancer of the body politic.)
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To: furball4paws; Celtjew Libertarian
Had to look that one up and I'm considering, due to my selfish genes, becoming an atheist.

She certainly had Billie Piper beat. I watched those episodes as an impressionable teenager. It shouldn't have been allowed.

33 posted on 06/28/2006 11:18:47 PM PDT by Thatcherite (I'm PatHenry I'm the real PatHenry all the other PatHenrys are just imitators)
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To: Nateman
If you ever heard of the idea of the "meme" (a self replicating bit of information much like a "gene" but normally called an idea) this is where that idea was born. It leads to a whole new way of viewing culture and human thought.

Dawkins just slapped a scientific-sounding name on a phenomenon well-familiar to linguistics, historians of ideas, and others in humanistic or sociological fields. Another (IHT?) article on Dawkins admits in detail the failures of the mimetics field. Wish I'd kept the link, I think I found it through aldaily.org.

34 posted on 06/29/2006 1:23:19 PM PDT by Dumb_Ox (http://kevinjjones.blogspot.com)
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To: PatrickHenry; Alamo-Girl; hosepipe
Hamilton's chief insight was the solution of a problem that Darwin himself had spotted as potentially fatal for his theory, that of altruistic individuals who sacrifice their lives for the good of the colony, hive or kin. How can a genetic basis for altruism ever evolve, given that an altruist's genes must surely become less common as he diverts resources from helping his own progeny survive to fostering others' survival?

Hamilton showed that it all makes sense when one considers that an individual is not the only carrier of his genes. The very same genes, or at least half of them, are carried by each of an individual's siblings, with lesser fractions shared by uncles, aunts, nephews and nieces. For an altruist to help these relatives survive and propagate their genes is almost as good as propagating his own genes.

Sounds plausible on first hearing, Patrick. But on second hearing....

Please 'splain to me how the "selfish gene" benefits from altrustic acts performed on behalf of individuals who are not part of one's kinship group. Apparently, this is not a concern for animals (e.g., hive and swarm behavior, etc.) But in the human realm, altrustic acts may be extended to total strangers.

How does Hamilton's insight apply to that situation?

Thanks for the post, PH!

35 posted on 06/29/2006 1:57:49 PM PDT by betty boop (The universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose. -J.B.S. Haldane)
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To: betty boop
BB, my treasure! There may be an answer to your question in the lead article of a thread I just posted:
How Cooperation Can Evolve in a Cheater’s World.
36 posted on 06/29/2006 4:43:54 PM PDT by PatrickHenry (Unresponsive to trolls, lunatics, fanatics, retards, scolds, & incurable ignoramuses.)
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To: PatrickHenry; Alamo-Girl; marron; hosepipe; xzins; TXnMA
BB, my treasure!

Well jeepers, PH, if I'm such "a treasure," then how come I'm not on your ping list? :^)

Another thing: In my last, I was asking you for your view of the question at hand. Rather than give it to me, you gave me a link to another website, to discover what I do not know I'm supposed to discover, since you seemingly refuse to communicate such basic things as "what to look for" (from your point of view that is). So I gather you intend that I am to be left floundering around all by myself, without any guidance at all.

All I really wanted, from square one, was to be able to figure out what you actually think about issues of mutual interest.

May I observe that, on the basis of long experience, one rarely hears answers from our friends the NeoDarwinists in regard to particular urgent questions. Instead, one gets directed to external web sites....

Speaking for myself, my current urgent reading list is as long as my arm. Do you suggest everything should go back in the line, so that I might read your excuse for not replying to me directly? Why would I consider doing any such stupid thing?

All I want to know is: What do you, personally, think of the content of those external web links? I mean, if you're recommending them to me, you must think they are worthy in some way. And if you think they are worthy, then supposedly you have evaluated evidence and imposed rational criteria so to reach that conclusion.

From the standpoint of a person advancing such an argument, what kind of reasoning, what kind of actual human communication does a "passed-off" referral to a third-party authority actually represent?

And your seeming thanks (not that you owe me any thanks at all) for my sincere question, takes the form of referring me to a website that houses such kernals of wisdom as: "How Cooperation Can Evolve in a Cheater's World."

Man, you can't be serious. If you are, and if you are also "legion" (i.e., as may be validated any time by the latest poll numbers properly spun), then Western Civilization is doomed indeed.

Seemingly there are more questions than answers these days. Hope you can help to find real solutions to the problems we human beings actually face, under currently prevailing conditions.

Thanks for writing PH.

37 posted on 06/29/2006 10:10:51 PM PDT by betty boop (The universe is not only queerer than we suppose, but queerer than we can suppose. -J.B.S. Haldane)
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To: betty boop
LOLOL! But how do you really feel?!

Personally I find this article and the linked one both lacking in what ought to be the most fundamental point: why does the biological organism, molecular machinery, swarm or biosphere want to live at all? In the linked article which is based on software, it would be why do the players play?

What is the origin of the will to live?

That should be answered long before "what is the origin of the will to die?"

Thank you for always wonderful posts!

38 posted on 06/29/2006 11:05:18 PM PDT by Alamo-Girl
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To: betty boop

My last post has upset you. That was not my intent. God bless you, BB.


39 posted on 06/30/2006 4:02:56 AM PDT by PatrickHenry (Unresponsive to trolls, lunatics, fanatics, retards, scolds, & incurable ignoramuses.)
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To: Alamo-Girl
...why does the biological organism, molecular machinery, swarm or biosphere want to live at all?

It's a metaphor.

40 posted on 06/30/2006 4:23:08 AM PDT by js1138 (Well I say there are some things we don't want to know! Important things!")
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