BLOG POST #3

I believe Richard Dawkins “The Selfish Gene” was more pessimistic about finding altruism towards other humans. It explains how the driving force in evolution does not function at the level of a species or at an individual but instead at the level of a specific gene. Genes are the prime players in evolution. Richard Dawkins also explains that our bodies are simply on a vessel for the genes we have in us and that our genes create temporary alliances so they later reproduce. I believe the way Richard Dawkins tries to explain his beliefs come out as selfish acts of genes. Olivia Judson in the other hand I think explained that altruism was the tendency to do self-sacrificial acts to do for another person which was behavior caused by a gene. Olivia Judson explains altruism is a genetic trait. In the article they compare animal acts with human actions and the traits the animals don’t have but humans do are to believe that those are the traits that make us different and helped humans survive. The writer that made me uncomfortable to understand was Richard Dawkins because I felt no connection to the book he explained it in more if a scientific than Olivia Judson did. Olivia Judson’s tones of voice in her essay made it more interesting and easy to read. I felt like she was talking directly to me so therefore I connected with her way of writing a lot more because of the way she put her ideas together also explained her ideas of altruism more deeply and it made me want to keep on reading.