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The Theory of the Selfish Gene Applied to the Human Population

Richard Startup

Advances in Anthropology, Volume: 11, Issue: 03, Pages: 179 - 200

Swansea University Author: Richard Startup

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DOI (Published version): 10.4236/aa.2021.113012

Abstract

In a study drawing from both evolutionary biology and the social sciences, evidence and argument is assembled in support of the comprehensive application of selfish gene theory to the human population. With a focus on genes giving rise to characteristically-human cooperation (“cooperative genes”) in...

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Published in: Advances in Anthropology
ISSN: 2163-9353 2163-9361
Published: Scientific Research Publishing, Inc. 2021
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URI: https://cronfa.swan.ac.uk/Record/cronfa57600
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first_indexed 2021-08-11T13:19:30Z
last_indexed 2021-09-09T03:21:04Z
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spelling v2 57600 2021-08-11 The Theory of the Selfish Gene Applied to the Human Population d86a8b1f7833763cea35d2b88386d0d4 Richard Startup Richard Startup true false 2021-08-11 FGHSS In a study drawing from both evolutionary biology and the social sciences, evidence and argument is assembled in support of the comprehensive application of selfish gene theory to the human population. With a focus on genes giving rise to characteristically-human cooperation (“cooperative genes”) involving language and theory of mind, one may situate a whole range of patterned behaviour—including celibacy and even slavery—otherwise seeming to present insuperable difficulties. Crucially, the behaviour which tends to propagate the cooperative genes may be “at cost” to the genes of some who may be party to the cooperation itself. Explanatory insights are provided by Trivers’ parent-offspring conflict theory, Lack’s principle, and Hamilton’s kin selection mechanism. A primary observation is that cooperation using language and theory of mind is itself interdependent with full human conceptualization of a world of objects and of themselves as embodied beings. Human capacities inhering in, or arising out of, the ability to cooperate are also responsible for a vitally important long-term process, the domestication of animals and plants. The approach illuminates the difference between animal and human sexual behaviour, and the emergence of kinship systems. Again, recent patterns of population growth become much more explicable. It is argued that the gene is the single controlling replicator; the notion of the meme as a second independent replicator is flawed. Journal Article Advances in Anthropology 11 03 179 200 Scientific Research Publishing, Inc. 2163-9353 2163-9361 Selfish Gene, Human Co-Operation, Theory of Mind, Division of Labour, Meme 9 8 2021 2021-08-09 10.4236/aa.2021.113012 COLLEGE NANME Humanities and Social Sciences - Faculty COLLEGE CODE FGHSS Swansea University Other None 2024-04-23T10:26:14.6677718 2021-08-11T14:12:21.3534468 Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences School of Social Sciences - Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy Richard Startup 1 57600__20611__f119425411bf40d9956342354bd315b3.pdf 57600.VOR.pdf 2021-08-11T14:18:06.6863055 Output 355886 application/pdf Version of Record true This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution International License (CC BY 4.0). Copyright 2021, The Author. true eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
title The Theory of the Selfish Gene Applied to the Human Population
spellingShingle The Theory of the Selfish Gene Applied to the Human Population
Richard Startup
title_short The Theory of the Selfish Gene Applied to the Human Population
title_full The Theory of the Selfish Gene Applied to the Human Population
title_fullStr The Theory of the Selfish Gene Applied to the Human Population
title_full_unstemmed The Theory of the Selfish Gene Applied to the Human Population
title_sort The Theory of the Selfish Gene Applied to the Human Population
author_id_str_mv d86a8b1f7833763cea35d2b88386d0d4
author_id_fullname_str_mv d86a8b1f7833763cea35d2b88386d0d4_***_Richard Startup
author Richard Startup
author2 Richard Startup
format Journal article
container_title Advances in Anthropology
container_volume 11
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publishDate 2021
institution Swansea University
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doi_str_mv 10.4236/aa.2021.113012
publisher Scientific Research Publishing, Inc.
college_str Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
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hierarchy_top_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_top_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
hierarchy_parent_id facultyofhumanitiesandsocialsciences
hierarchy_parent_title Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences
department_str School of Social Sciences - Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy{{{_:::_}}}Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences{{{_:::_}}}School of Social Sciences - Criminology, Sociology and Social Policy
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description In a study drawing from both evolutionary biology and the social sciences, evidence and argument is assembled in support of the comprehensive application of selfish gene theory to the human population. With a focus on genes giving rise to characteristically-human cooperation (“cooperative genes”) involving language and theory of mind, one may situate a whole range of patterned behaviour—including celibacy and even slavery—otherwise seeming to present insuperable difficulties. Crucially, the behaviour which tends to propagate the cooperative genes may be “at cost” to the genes of some who may be party to the cooperation itself. Explanatory insights are provided by Trivers’ parent-offspring conflict theory, Lack’s principle, and Hamilton’s kin selection mechanism. A primary observation is that cooperation using language and theory of mind is itself interdependent with full human conceptualization of a world of objects and of themselves as embodied beings. Human capacities inhering in, or arising out of, the ability to cooperate are also responsible for a vitally important long-term process, the domestication of animals and plants. The approach illuminates the difference between animal and human sexual behaviour, and the emergence of kinship systems. Again, recent patterns of population growth become much more explicable. It is argued that the gene is the single controlling replicator; the notion of the meme as a second independent replicator is flawed.
published_date 2021-08-09T10:26:12Z
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