2.9 The selfish gene

Genes encode Intelligence

Genes are units of programmed functionality that encode information for the development and functioning of organisms. Information is passed down from one generation to the next generation, subject to mutation and other evolutionary processes. 

Genes evolve Intelligence from one successive generation to the next, and Intelligence at many different levels and abilities is embedded in a potentially unlimited number of genes. Genes certainly contribute to the development of Intelligence and other complex traits. 

Biological Science has long understood the concept of the "selfish gene" as initially proposed by Richard Dawkins [64], which refers to the idea that genes influence an organism's behavior in ways that enhance the genes own survival and reproduction into the next generation, rather than the survival and reproduction of the organism as a whole. 

The theory suggests that genes are the primary unit of the natural selection process, and that traits that increase an organism's reproductive success through a superior fitness within a given environment, are more likely to be passed on to future generations.

While Intelligence is often associated with individual success and achievement, it is not necessarily a selfish trait. Intelligence can be used for both selfish and altruistic purposes. For example, an Intelligent Human can use their abilities to benefit themselves and their immediate family, or they could use their abilities to benefit others and promote the greater good of society at large.

Intelligence is often the result of complex interactions between genetics, environment, and other factors, making it difficult to reduce it to a single selfish or selfless attribute. It is also worth noting that Humans and other Intelligent animals are social beings, where friendly competition, mutual cooperation, and altruism have played critical roles in the success of each new generation.

At the genetic level, Intelligence is a multifaceted trait that can be used for a wide range of purposes, both selfish and selfless, and its development is influenced by a complex interplay of genetic and environmental factors.

The concept of the "selfish gene" is a useful framework for understanding certain aspects of the genetic development of Intelligence as a massively large and highly distributed, and extremely fault tolerant optimisation system that can efficiently evolve over time to find solutions to almost intractably complex problems.