Richard Dawkins wrote:
Zoology is still a minority subject in universities, and even those who choose to study it often make their decision without appreciating its profound philosophical significance. Philosophy and the subjects known as 'humanities' are still taught almost as if Darwin had never lived. -- Richard Dawkins (The Selfish Gene).
From the context I'd gather he means that much of philosophy, social sciences and psychology have not caught on to what Dawkins and indirectly Darwin introduced: an ongoing battle of genes, no - a battle
between genes, concerned with their own survival on the level of
single genes. Like an individual virus but then in the context of a longer term cooperation (cell - DNA).
The concern is then not really anymore at the level that the 'humanities' still teach: culture, group dynamics and systems, the survival of species or the group but can be traced back to the 'concern' of a single
gene to survive against all costs, even by sticking with other genes if needed, for now. Dawkins writes that his book
The Extended Phenotype is really the book making this case.
The question I have is how Dawkins defines philosophy. He carefully avoids applying morality to his findings and admits the morality of a society is different than the ruthlessness and selfishness on gene level. I'd then submit the same thing for philosophy: it's all good and well that genes might be pulling the strings more than is realized by most but if morality doesn't apply on that level, why would philosophy or at least ethics? If Dawkins wants academic philosophy to get involved in Darwinism and the selfish gene meme, he himself should be less tip-toeing around the moral issues and instead of attacking religion perhaps attack some other sacred cows. I still miss that in his work and therefore I hesitate to call him a philosopher, although he does explore philosophical issues. My guess would be that he doesn't have the stomach, the
guts to go where is needed. Dennett is more ruthless in that way but that's another topic.