Genes and Organisms in the Legacy of the Modern Synthesis

Abstract

The gene’s-eye view of evolution is an prominent but controversial perspective on biology. It emerged in the aftermath of the Modern Synthesis and both proponents and detractors have stressed the link between the two. In particular, both the Modern Synthesis and the gene’s-eye view have been criticized for overemphasizing the role of genes at the expense of organisms in evolutionary explanations. In this chapter, I discuss the connection between the Modern Synthesis and the gene’s-eye view and evaluate the status of genes and organisms in contemporary biology. I show that while the gene’s-eye view traces its origin back to the Modern Synthesis, it can most accurately be said to represent a specific—adaptationist and gene-centric—version of it. To assess the role of genes and organisms, I examine the intimate relationship between the gene’s-eye view and another post-Synthesis development, the concept of inclusive fitness. I argue that the popularity and influence of inclusive fitness theory demonstrate that the individual organism remains safe at the heart of modern evolutionary biology.