In this blog post, we will look at Richard Dawkins’ theory of “selfish genes” and discuss whether altruistic behavior is really a calculated result for the preservation of genes or whether it stems from pure consideration for others.
We live our lives helping each other, from our neighbors to people far away. We share delicious food, collect donations for disaster victims, and engage in many other acts of kindness. These acts are not motivated by selfishness, but rather by a desire to help others. However, there are those who argue that such altruistic behavior does not completely exclude self-interest. Richard Dawkins, author of The Selfish Gene, is one such person. Richard Dawkins argues that what we have thought of as behavior for the benefit of others actually includes the preservation of genes, or a more distant benefit when viewed from a broader perspective. In other words, seemingly altruistic behaviors do not stem from a pure intention to help others, but from an inherent selfish desire to preserve our genes. However, contrary to Dawkins’ argument, I believe that we cannot exclude the pure intention to consider and help others from our altruistic behaviors. I will now explain why I think so.
As mentioned earlier, from Dawkins’ point of view, our actions for others are thoroughly calculated. For example, when something happens to our neighbors and they are in trouble, our actions to help them are motivated by the intention to receive help from them in the future when we are in trouble. There is a repetition-reciprocity hypothesis that explains such behavior. In other words, rather than seeking short-term gains, we make choices that are advantageous to us in the long run. However, when we imagine helping them, we do not do so thinking, “If I help them now, they will help me someday.” We first feel sympathy for their situation and begin to help them. In other words, we help them because we know how it feels to be in difficulty and want to be of some help to them. Of course, if we help someone and then find ourselves in trouble, and they don’t help us, we feel betrayed, thinking, “I helped them when they were in trouble, so why aren’t they helping me?” In that case, it’s obvious that we won’t help them again in the future. However, it would be unreasonable to say that we are acting calculatingly for our own benefit. The reason we feel betrayed is not because we regret not receiving any benefit from them, but because we understand their situation, while they do not. Simply put, it is a psychological issue.
Helping people with the expectation of receiving something in return is something we do for those who we believe will be able to benefit us in the future. However, in this case, we cannot explain helping beggars or collecting money for the poor. This is because we do not believe that they will bring us any rewards in the future. Even though we know this, we help them because we are citizens of the same country or neighbors living in the same area, and we want to live together. Or, as mentioned earlier, we help them because we feel sorry for their situation and want to support them. Another example of altruistic behavior toward others without considering future benefits is tipping at restaurants in foreign countries. There is no guarantee that a waiter will remember everyone who tips them and provide better service the next time they visit, and you may not even visit that restaurant again. Furthermore, since tipping is not mandatory, it would be reasonable to refrain from unnecessary spending if one truly wants to save money. However, foreigners give tips to express their gratitude to waiters who serve them. In this way, people do not do things that benefit others with the intention of gaining something for themselves, but rather put themselves in the shoes of others and act altruistically with a spirit of tolerance and generosity.
We also feel a sense of pride and fulfillment when we perform altruistic acts such as those mentioned above. However, one could argue that these acts are not truly altruistic, but rather acts performed for psychological satisfaction, and therefore not acts for the benefit of others. However, as in the previous case, it is very difficult to view such behavior as altruistic, as it is unlikely that the person would think, “I should help this person because I will feel fulfilled if I do,” before actually helping them. The psychological satisfaction that follows such behavior is a kind of by-product, and as such, it cannot be considered a strong motivation for helping others. Furthermore, according to Dawkins’ view, altruistic behavior must ultimately help preserve our genes, and it is difficult to see how psychological factors such as fulfillment and pride help preserve our genes or ensure our survival. In other words, mental satisfaction does not affect the preservation of our genes, nor does it have a significant impact on the desire to help others.
Richard Dawkins said that our altruistic acts are ultimately for our own benefit. However, examples such as helping beggars or tipping waiters, as mentioned earlier, refute Richard Dawkins’ argument. In this way, we engage in many altruistic behaviors in our daily lives that do not benefit us at all. Therefore, I disagree with Dawkins’ argument and believe that our altruistic behaviors cannot exclude the desire to understand and respect others regardless of our own interests. Furthermore, contrary to Dawkins’ opinion that humans, like other living creatures, are governed by their genetic design, I believe that the ability to think and act from the perspective of others shows that humans, unlike other living creatures, are not governed by their genes and live rationally.
