We The Tools

I have had The Selfish Gene mentioned to me before, specifically how it mentioned living creatures including us being simply machines designed for the use of genes, which are kept safe inside us in their struggle for a selfish survival. Because of this and much of what I had heard before I was thrilled when asked to read the book. The first couple of chapters go into mentioning the concepts of altruism and selfishness in a biological concept, forcing me to recall a previous discussion which arose on one of my morning classes. In the present, the basic concept of ethics as come from the Greeks was analyzed and certain interpretations questioned. We divulged into the concept of happiness and how to obtain it, concluding that happiness and therefore the essence of ethics and living itself is an internal process of which mental sanity is a basic component. Now this strongly relates to the idea of us being “survival machines (20)” for genes, for both of the ideas mention a thesis based on an internal process where the external influences are simply but additions to the true importance of the mentioned which lies inside our physical self.

In recent years a shift from the rational mind to the more spiritual aspect of existence has been seen worldwide. If world events are followed attentively, we can make many connections of how slowly but widespread emotion and spirit are starting to take over our rational reaction which, as is no mystery, where taking us directly to oblivion. This all comes back to internal reactions and genetic realizations happening within us for the purpose of gene survival which “created us, body and mind; and their preservation is the ultimate rationale for our existence (20).” If the end reason for the existence of beings as physical individuals is for the preservation of genes, and happens to be that they find themselves in trouble when we as species face the worst conditions ever seen, an immediate change is triggered internally for the specific purpose of evolution and therefore survival of the “selfish genes.” This whole train of thought completely intertwines with my morning discussion for they both end in an intangible change as the only possibility left for survival by evolving into a rather spiritual species.

But then how does it all fit into the basic concept of living, that is: why do we spend time learning and growing? Once the concept of the gene is understood it makes sense under the specific lens of survival and evolution. One can look back into history and science to discover how it is only the fittest individuals that survive: being those the ones who attract matches and leave their genes into what ought to be a “stable” individual. In effect, it is vital for the genes we carry that we stand out as individuals because only that way will our physical body ensure a match for reproduction, which is in essence some other set of genes inside their own machine trying to ensure their survival with us, but only if we prove to be their best bet at prolonging themselves.

The first few chapters foreshadow in me what is going to be a source of great knowledge and understanding but also, as I have come to realize, what will prove to be a tedious debate in my emotional self. It is interesting to approach such a theory that so clearly pulls everything together as to help us understand the working of species and our real purpose. On the other hand, it is kind of frustrating to understand science to such a level where any optimistic beliefs you have are completely wiped out because you will no longer remain the individual but the mechanism of survival for an alien body. Some may argue that they rather live in the erroneous interpretation of different purposes in life, but some of us, in their ambitious vice for understanding everything they can to its last extent, will go to the last chapter and shall read to the very last period in hope of that explanation which so far has failed to come unflawed.