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About this quote

What does it mean?
It is logical to argue against certain evolutionary outcomes, showing that rejecting specific aspects of Darwinism is possible.
In plain terms
You can oppose Darwinian results without being nonsensical.
What can you take from it?
Human values can conflict with natural selection outcomes.

Where it applies

  • discussing evolution
  • debating ethics
  • planning society

Putting it to work

  • evaluating outcomes
  • ethical reasoning
  • social policy

Questions to consider

  • Should we guide evolution?
  • Where do values fit in?

Another view

It risks conflating descriptive facts with prescriptive values.

More from Richard Dawkins

  1. I think it is not helpful to apply Darwinian language too widely. Conquest of nation by nation is too distant for Darwinian explanations to be helpful. Darwini…

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  2. You see, if you say something positive like the whole of life - all living things - is descended from a single common ancestor which lived about 4,000 million …

    Permalink to quote #127
  3. ... but the dominance hierarchy itself is not something that natural selection favors or disfavors. What natural selection favors or disfavors is the individua…

    Permalink to quote #124

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