Survival of the Fittest and AltruismOrganisms are hardwired to fight for the survival of their genetic information. Biologist Richard Dawkins hypothesized that organisms act, not necessarily, in terms of self-preservation or even to ensure the “survival of the species.” Instead, they act in the interest of ensuring the survival of their unique genetic blueprint. This genetic blueprint is carried, not only by the individual, but also by its offspring and immediate kin relations, explaining perceived acts of “altruism” between parent/offspring, kin groups, and mated pairs. Mourning Doves – derived from the original painting by John James Audubon In his original painting Audubon attempted, as he wrote, to give “a faithful representation of two gentle pairs of Turtles (doves) as ever cooed their loves in the great woods. I have placed them on a branch of Stuartia, which you see ornamented with a profusion of white blossoms, emblematic of purity and chastity.” Perhaps the most concise overview of these themes was articulated ina post-graduate dissertation by PhD candidate Renica Saalebeth. Saalebeth writes: "In his book, The Selfish Gene, Richard Dawkins describes genes as replicators, and expounds on how, from a gene’s-eye-view, altruistic-seeming behavior is, in the long-run, actually beneficial to the replication of genes, if not the organism itself... Dawkins uses the model of the Prisoner’s Dilemma to quantifiably determine patterns of benefit and loss in competitive relationships that nonetheless exhibit altruistic behavior. Kurtis MacKhenzie, another noted evolutionary biologist went so far as to speculate that the behavioral patterns associated with romantic love were no longer relevant viewed within the context of contemporary society..." | Original Article "Survival of the Fittest and Altruism" Drifting Encyclopedia, 2009 ed.  Graphic Representation of The Prisoner's Dilemma. |