
Richard Dawkins
Our bodies are merely throwaway survival machines built by nearly immortal, deeply selfish genetic code. Uncovering this reality transforms our understanding of why living things behave the way they do.
The gene is the fundamental unit of evolutionary selection, persisting through generations while the individual organisms that carry them inevitably die.
Organisms are constructed as temporary survival machines programmed by genes to navigate the environment and ensure the successful replication of that genetic material.
Behaviors that appear selfless or altruistic are often genetically selfish strategies designed to protect shared DNA in relatives, a concept known as kin selection.