the theory of selfish genes really is selfish genes it does not mean selfish individuals uh selfish genes Drive animals sometimes to be selfish as individuals but it can drive animals to be altruistic in particular it can drive them to be altruistic towards close kin and altruistic towards other individuals who may be able to return the favor that is the basis The evolutionary basis for uh humans because humans have evolved by the same process of evolution as every other uh creature but as I said earlier humans have an additional Advantage which is that our brains have
evolved by that very process of the selection of selfish genes our brains have evolved become bigger and bigger so that we now are capable of emancipating ourselves from the selfish genes it's possible now for humans to show levels of empathy and altruism and cooperation which are not in the immediate short-term self-interest of our own genes they must have their basis their original basis in the selection of selfish genes but many humans do things which a strict darwinian would uh shake his head at and say that's not darwinian when we give money to charity when we
give blood when we look after animals when we look after the poor when we look after the elderly all these are acts of sympathy acts of empathy which uh can only in a very uh subtle way be traced to the selection of of selfish genes I think it can be done but there's no doubt that many humans not all humans but many humans do have the capacity for empathy which is Way Beyond what you'd expect on a naive interpretation of Darwinism so I think there is hope for Humanity uh because so many of us actually
are altruistic and cooperative and UND darwinian I've said it often and I'll say it again that although I'm a passionate darwinian when it comes to explaining why we're here I'm also a passionate anti- darwinian when it comes to planning and I do mean planning the kind of society in which we we wish to live we can plan for the future we can plan for an altruistic future leaving behind the dictates of our selfish genes
