To: marxism-AT-jefferson.village.virginia.edu
Subject: Re:  individual/selection, back to Paul C
From: wpc-AT-clyder.gn.apc.org (Paul Cockshott)
Date: Wed, 02 Aug 95 11:53:24 PDT


On the argument with Lisa about the validity of 

individual self interest from a darwinist standpoint.


1. My concern is to shown that there can and almost certainly

   will exist contradictions in the individual genome.


2. Since these contradictions exist, the concept of

   biological individual self interest is problematic.


3. I dont think that the population geneticists are making

   an excessive abstration when they focus on the gene or

   sub sequence as the unit of abstraction. I think that
 
   that this is the real process.


4. As such it makes evolution specifically, like all other

   sciences a process without a subject.


5. I did not use the sickle cell example since that involves

   a monotonic fitness function. I wanted to show the

   contradictions that can arise from non-monotonic ones.


6. Genes do not only reproduce themselves via individuals, unless

   you include the haploid phase as such, ok with bryophytes

perhaps?


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