Abstract
Evolutionary theory emphasizes the "survival of the fittest," and theidea that progress comes through elimination of less-fit organisms. This ideahas been used to justify an ethic of selfishness by saying that selfishbehavior has produced great evolutionary progress. Evolutionists generally holdthat instances of cooperation and even altruism seen in nature are only theprinciple of the wolf pack - organisms banding together temporarily formutual benefit in the struggle for individual survival. For example, Oxfordzoologist, Richard Dawkins, in his book, , paints apicture of the living world as a selfish, dog-eat-dog place where theself-seeking behavior of many competing gene pools is the only reality. Dawkinsis eloquent in his portrayal of genes as cunning, savvy survivors who somehowuse living things for their own ends. Thus, this self-seeking evolutionaryethic should not allow the folly of self-sacrifice.