Selfish Genes, Russian Dolls, and Christian Ethics

Frans de Waal rejects the “Veneer Theory” of Dawkins and others who see morality as an artificial addendum to a basically selfish world of competition. Rather, de Waal sees human nature as “good-natured” because there must be some basic drive that produces co-operation, and this serves as a necessary corrective to the “selfish gene” theory. I argue that Christian ethicists can use de Waal’s insights for their own development of a theory of compassion.

Craig A. Boyd | Saint Louis University