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5 - Cry of the Wolf

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  22 June 2023

Raymond Noble
Affiliation:
University College London
Denis Noble
Affiliation:
University of Oxford
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Summary

In the preceding chapters, we showed why the idea that living organisms are really driven by their genes is a profound misunderstanding of how living systems work. On the contrary, they are open systems at all levels of organisation. How things work at the molecular level is constrained and regulated at the cellular level. The interaction of cells is regulated at the tissue level, and tissues at the organ level, and organs at the system level. The system is regulated by the behaviour of the organisms, and organisms by social and ecological interactions. The psychosocial level is unique. If there is a privileged level of causation, then it lies at the psychosocial level and not at the level of genes. This is the level at which wilful agency is initiated and organisms can be genuinely selfish or altruistic. In truth you cannot be selfish if you do not have the choice to be altruistic, which is why selfishness cannot be applied at a genetic level, neither metaphorically nor literally.

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Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Print publication year: 2023

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  • Cry of the Wolf
  • Raymond Noble, University College London, Denis Noble, University of Oxford
  • Book: Understanding Living Systems
  • Online publication: 22 June 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009277396.007
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  • Cry of the Wolf
  • Raymond Noble, University College London, Denis Noble, University of Oxford
  • Book: Understanding Living Systems
  • Online publication: 22 June 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009277396.007
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Cry of the Wolf
  • Raymond Noble, University College London, Denis Noble, University of Oxford
  • Book: Understanding Living Systems
  • Online publication: 22 June 2023
  • Chapter DOI: https://doi.org/10.1017/9781009277396.007
Available formats
×