Able Quote by Richard Dawkins

Selfish genes actually explain altruistic individuals, and to me that's crystal-clear.

— Richard Dawkins

People who criticize The Selfish Gene like that often haven't read it. The selfish gene accounts for altruism toward kin and individuals who might…

— Richard Dawkins

“there is a pressure for genes to be selfish, but in an enlightened way, to collaborate, coordinate, and play their small part in ensuring…

— Daniel Bor

Just as blueprints don't necessarily specify blue buildings, selfish genes don't necessarily specify selfish organisms. As we shall see, sometimes the most selfish thing…

— Steven Pinker

Of course we're all programmed genetically to some extent. But the "selfish gene" thesis doesn't explain everything.

— Jane Goodall

One of the great issues in biology is the origin of altruism - of why you would do something for someone else that could…

— Isabella Rossellini

“The gene is the basic unit of selfishness.”

— Richard Dawkins

“Relatives share a substantial proportion of their genes. Each selfish gene therefore has its loyalties divided between different bodies.”

— Richard Dawkins

Our minds have been built by selfish genes, but they have been built to be social, trustworthy and cooperative.

— Matt Ridley

“That genes explain our behaviour and well-being distracts attention from society as a cause; such ideas also encourage us to accept or pursue chemical,…

— Oliver James

I don't deny the importance of genetics. However, the fact that I might be altruistic isn't because I have a gene for altruism; the…

— B. F. Skinner

Let us understand what our own selfish genes are up to because we may then at least have the chance to upset their designs.

— Richard Dawkins