#YES I know Richard Dawkins is a cringe atheist

[vanesa]

Started reading The Selfish Gene by Richard Dawkins, which seems to be obligatory reading for any biologist.

I love how, as it is a book first published in 1976 in a field that has rapidly evolved since then, it starts with many forwards and comes with footnotes addressing the many criticisms and new research that has come since. I feel as if I were reading a Tumblr post with repeated clarifications from bad faith readings, or a list of terms and conditions. Science is self-correcting and humans are subjective.

One of the many notes he addresses is the title itself. While the word "selfish" has too many negative connotations, I would argue the grief over people only reading the title/first chapter and misunderstandings and further clarifications needed is worth it for the punchier title. I think most biologist students understand selfish to mean self-perpetuating. He makes a good argument regardless.

There are some publications that came out after that have since corrected/clarified many of the points in the book, so I need to read those too.

#personal #this is the era of me finishing all of those books i bought i just know it #and before anyone comments: #YES I know Richard Dawkins is a cringe atheist #richard 'i dont need to read the quaran to criticize it' dawkins #and I KNOW the 'We Are All Africans' meme shirt #(even though the idea of all humans originating in Africa has had some substantial challenges recently) #i really hope people don't think of me as someone who doesn't critically examine what she reads and who wrote jt #i passed *IB English* okay i have credentials