Study the historical reception of Dawkin's The Selfish Gene and synthesize the different critical arguments authors have advanced against it. Even after 50 years, Dawkins' book remains a touchstone of popular science writing on evolutionary biology. It was also a major influence on many scientists, shaping their thinking on evolutionary biology and society and their research interests. At the same time, many scholars in biology as well as history, philosophy, and the social studies of science have been highly critical of the book's main claims. We lack a historical study that helps make sense of the book's impacts and how its core ideas and conclusions have borne up over time.
Required project activities include: 1) compiling a bibliography of primary and secondary literature on The Selfish Gene, documenting its reception and influence. 2) Mapping arguments presented in the primary literature (or reviewed in the secondary literature) supporting or opposing claims in the book. 3) Documenting how The Selfish Gene influenced key people, fields, or topics. 4) Synthesizing these results into a narrative of the book's historical reception and a critical review of how its key ideas and claims have held up over time.