Human Race: Outgrown

This morning, in my ethics class, we discussed the importance of the brain. The teacher led us to conclude that the brain was the only important part of the body. He made the students realize how little we know about the world. All life could be is a dream, which we have created ourselves. Usually I do not like to ask myself these questions. They only lead to frustration and discomfort. I may never answer them and I prefer to enjoy life as it is. Even though nobody really knows what our purpose on earth really is, almost everyone wants to leave a mark. Everyone wants humanity to remember them. It can be done in many ways: Killing, saving, leading and so forth, but the point is we want to be remembered.

In chapter eight of the book Dawkins mentions how “…genes are the immortals, or rather, they are defined as genetic entities that come close to deserving the title” (34). If you want to be remembered being immortal is certainly the answer. If we look at our existence in a matter of time we are a small dot. Our influence is of course proportionate. A gene on the other hand has a greater impact than all of humanity combined. For one it cannot die and therefore, constantly evolve. It is always learning and making itself better. The simplest but greatest difference is the way they are immortal. Humans will only live forever if they are forever remembered. If for some reason, our memories were to be wiped nobody would know who George Washington is. He has suddenly become mortal. Genes on the other hand are immortal physically. They cannot be destroyed. By being self-dependent they have outgrown the human species in every possible way.