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Goals are not selfish.

William von Hippel1, Frank A von Hippel2

  • 1School of Psychology, University of Queensland, St Lucia QLD 4072, Australia. billvh@psy.uq.edu.au http://www.psy.uq.edu.au/directory/index.html?id=1159.

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The "selfish goals" metaphor is flawed. Organisms serve gene interests, not their own goals, a concept explained by evolutionary theory and trade-offs with longevity.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Philosophy of biology

Background:

  • The concept of
  • selfish goals
  • is often used in evolutionary biology.
  • This metaphor suggests organisms act to achieve their own goals.
  • However, this perspective may be inaccurate.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To critically evaluate the metaphor of
  • selfish goals
  • in the context of evolutionary theory.
  • To propose an alternative framework for understanding organismal behavior and gene interests.

Main Methods:

  • Conceptual analysis of evolutionary theory.
  • Critique of the
  • selfish goals
  • metaphor.
  • Examination of trade-offs between goals and longevity.

Main Results:

  • The metaphor of
  • selfish goals
  • is considered misguided.
  • Organisms are better understood as vehicles for gene propagation.
  • Evolutionary theory adequately explains goal-related trade-offs without invoking "selfish goals".

Conclusions:

  • The
  • selfish goals
  • metaphor does not accurately represent evolutionary principles.
  • Organismal goals can conflict with longevity, a phenomenon explained by evolutionary trade-offs.
  • A gene-centered view provides a more robust framework for understanding organismal behavior.