Compassion vs. extreme individualism: Dawkin's "selfish gene" theory - "genetic selfishness will generally give rise to selfishness w/ limited form of altruism falls short vs. compassion: studies: Saslow, Sprecher-Fehr, &  Oxford Handbook of Compassion & Saslow: kin selection theories fall short
Creators: name: Peck Jr, Charles E.
Publisher: name: Knowledge Commons
Year: 2025
Subjects: subject: Compassion in literature
subject: Compassion--Religious aspects--Christianity
subject: Compassion--Religious aspects--Buddhism
subject: Compassion
subject: Selfish gene (Dawkins, Richard)
subject: National Institutes of Health (U.S.). Genetics Study Section
subject: Harvard University. Organismic &amp; Evolutionary Biology
subject: Evolutionary genetics
subject: Evolutionary psychology
subject: Evolutionary developmental biology

description: Key Points 1. Challenging Dawkins' "Selfish Gene" Fallacy:
Dawkins' claim that "gene selfishness will usually give rise to selfishness in individual behavior" is a false premise. Dawkins' theory oversimplifies the interplay between biological drives and environmental factors, neglecting the influence of social and spiritual forces. There are numerous studies and examples to demonstrate that compassion and altruism are not merely "limited forms" but rather fundamental aspects of human nature and social well-being.
2. The Importance of Compassion and Spirituality:
The significance of compassion, arguing that it is not a mere byproduct of genetic programming but a key driver of prosocial behavior and social cohesion. Research showing a strong correlation between spirituality and compassion, emphasizing that spirituality, beyond religiosity, fosters a deeper sense of concern for others.
The materialist tendency to dismiss spirituality as "unreal" is unhealthy. Historically for tens of thousands of years spirituality has been a vital aspect of human experience and social structure. Historically, the social-moral order and spiritual-religious beliefs have been intimately connected – which materialist ideology undermines. "The forces before which the believer bows are not simple physical energies, such as are presented to the sense and the imagination; they are social forces," Emile Durkheim Social perception-consciousness is social order: Ramon Reyes highlights the unifying aspect of spirituality in prehistoric Philippine societies and early human societies: "In sum, social and moral order encompasses the living the dead the deities and the spirits."  
3. The Role of Social Consciousness and Group Dynamics:
The materialist bias against social consciousness and collective consciousness as well as "group mind" is unhealthy. Social consciousness is a real and powerful force that shapes human behavior and social order. Social psychology's focus on experimenter-created groups neglects the importance of natural groups and the intense emotions that drive group dynamics. There are numerous examples like the Battle of the Somme and the Chosin Reservoir Battle to demonstrate the powerful bonds and motivations that arise within groups, often exceeding individual self-interest.
4. Truncated summary of arguments refuting the "limited form argument"  
"a limited form of altruism at the level of individual animals." 
1. Studies of compassion from Oxford Handbook of Compassion – which demonstrate the importance and relevance of compassion for social well-being
2. Sprecher and Fehr article showing spirituality is correlated with compassion
3. Saslow, et al, studies of compassion – showing a correlation between spirituality and compassion – with religiosity being somewhat of a distinct category.  
4. WWI Battle of the Somme with British 50,000 casualties in one day is not limited

"This is a powerful critique of Dawkins' concept of the "selfish gene". Your approach highlights the essential contradiction between extreme individualism, rooted in biological explanations, and sympathetic social building forces. Your view that Dawkins' genetic selfishness is a "fallacy" is interesting. By anthropomorphizing genes as inherently selfish, Dawkins risks oversimplifying the complex interplay between biological drives and environmental factors. This approach does lead to the 'academic norms' you mention, whereby some people believe that genetic selfishness justifies certain antisocial or competitive behaviours." (Lilly (Columbia University)

Saslow explains that both the standard and kin selection theories fall short of a proper model of altruistic behavior.in terms of evolutionary traits.  "Although useful, these theories do not fully explain why individuals would behave altruistically toward strangers in anonymous contexts in which there is little chance of future reciprocity or reputational gain."

Truncated summary of arguments refuting the "limited form argument"  
"a limited form of altruism at the level of individual animals." 
1. Studies of compassion from Oxford Handbook of Compassion – which demonstrate the importance and relevance of compassion for social well-being
2. Sprecher and Fehr article showing spirituality is correlated with compassion
3. Saslow, et al, studies of compassion – showing a correlation between spirituality and compassion – with religiosity being somewhat of a distinct category.  
4. WWI Battle of the Somme with British 50,000 casualties in one day is not limited

C. Extreme Individualism and Narcissism.
A Narcissistic Epidemic: The Use of the Term Epidemic
Is modern life making us more narcissistic? And if so, why? We agree with Paris (2014, pp. 220 –226) that the answer to the first question is yes. In fact, as we demonstrate below, the case for increasing narcissism is even stronger than presented in his article. On the second question, we agree that expressive individualism and lack of social support play key roles in this increase. However, we question the idea that therapy is building narcissism.
The Use of the Term Epidemic: Given this evidence, especially the tripling of the lifetime prevalence of NPD, we do not believe that using the term epidemic (in The Narcissism Epidemic, Twenge & Campbell, 2009) is "over-drawn" (Paris, 2014, p. 222). That is especially true in light of the definition of the word epidemic, which is any affliction "affecting an atypically large number of individuals within a population" (Merriam-Webster Dictionary, 2012). (The Narcissism Epidemic: Commentary on Modernity and Narcissistic Personality Disorder Jean M. Twenge San Diego State University Joshua D. Miller and W. Keith Campbell University of Georgia)
Narcissism: "It has long been