ABSTRACT
The Selfish Gene, which provides an excellent introduction to the gene-centered perspective of natural selection, is currently used as a teaching tool in many universities. Because of the thought-provoking nature of its ideas, it is not limited to the teaching of biology but has also been influential in the philosophy of science. The long-standing influence of the book is largely linked to Richard Dawkins's fame as a public figure with controversial views on religion, which he frequently airs in the media. People interested in his opinions often start with The Selfish Gene because it is his first and best-known book. The prominent evolutionary biologist Edward O. Wilson, whose Sociobiology appeared a year before The Selfish Gene, became embroiled in a dispute with Dawkins around his book The Social Conquest of Earth. While Wilson's The Social Conquest of Earth had its critics, Dawkins obviously included, the Prospect magazine review of the book was also criticized.
