Let's not forget the whole point of the book _The Selfish Gene_ was to provide an explanation of how _altruistic_ behaviour could arise (or more correctly, 'apparently altruistic behaviour'). It's plain wrong to view it as some sort of Social Darwinist tract. People on the Right who use the phrase as some sort of Social Darwinist slogan are just bullshitting. And it's always mildly disappointing to see leftists legitimize this bullshit usage by reacting as if it was the original and proper meaning. Eric Franz Leher
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Sorry. Forgot. You're right it was (or so I think?) a track to counter the very point I accused it of? But even this is very hazy.
There was so much nonsense coming out of the sociobiology crew a few years ago I just lost track of it all. But in some sense the details of who was on what side back when is a little pointless from my point of view.
I am not any more thrilled with the concept of altruism than I was with greed as a biological science construct.
Now you're going to make me look it up. How about if you just explain the points with the correct references and I concede?
Chuck Grimes