In his book, The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins explains his theory on the selfishness of genes. According to him, entities are either altruistic or selfish by nature, and seemingly altruistic characteristics usually tend to be selfish in reality, once they are looked at more closely. Something is said to be altruistic " if it behaves in such a way as to increase another such entity's welfare at the expense of its own. Selfish behavior has exactly the opposite effect. (Page 4)" The gene, one of these such entities, is perhaps the most selfish of all, doing anything possible to assure its survival. Dawkins further explains his proof of this theory in many areas, including but not limited to DNA, birth, survival and death of a being, and how entities protect not only themselves but go to long ranges to protect their genes in nature. .
Richard Dawkins begins his proof of the selfish gene theory by stating how entities are merely "survival machines" for the genes that occupy them. Genes therefore can survive for generation after generation by using entities to carry on their existence. The selfish gene theory applies because the genes merely use organisms in their own selfish nature. Dawkins argues that " the fundamental unit of selection, and therefore of self-interest, is not the species, nor the group, nor even, strictly the individual. It is the gene, the unit of heredity. (Page 11)" By saying this, Dawkins states how selfishness and a desire to survive is not for the benefit of the individual or the group, but rather for the gene itself. Furthermore, he goes on to state how an act that may seem altruistic to a group or the individual is really a concealed selfish act. For example, in one chapter Mr. Dawkins goes through an example of how a bird who calls to warn the rest of his flock of danger seems to be doing an altruistic act, by risking his own life to save the rest of the flock.
