The Selfish Gene The Selfish Gene The Selfish Gene is a 1976 book on evolution by Richard Dawkins, in which the author builds upon the principal theory of George C. Williams's "Adaptation and Natural Selection" (1966). Dawkins uses the term "selfish gene" as a way of expressing the gene-centred view of evolution as opposed to the views focused on the organism and the group, popularising ideas developed during the 1960s by W. D. Hamilton and others. From the gene-centred view, it follows that the more two individuals are genetically related, the more sense (at the level of the genes) it makes for them
Irreligion in the United Kingdom to prominence in 1976 following the release of "The Selfish Gene", increasingly figured in British irreligion with the release of his 1986 work "The Blind Watchmaker", in which he argued in favour of evolutionary natural selection as opposed to intelligent design and creationism. In the 21st century, New Atheism became a popular topic of debate, support and critique in the United Kingdom. Dawkins' 2006 book "The God Delusion" and Christopher Hitchens' 2007 book "God Is Not Great" were considered emblematic works of the era among British authors, and Dawkins advocated for the Brights movement. The Atheist Bus Campaign was inaugurated