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Quote by Abraham Joshua Heschel

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Who is Man?

This book delves into profound questions about the human condition, exploring the complexities of human nature, consciousness, and the search for meaning in life. more

Author

Abraham Joshua Heschel
Abraham Joshua Heschel

Abraham Joshua Heschel was a renowned rabbi and Jewish scholar, born on January 11, 1907, and passed away on December 23, 1972. He had a profound impact on religious philosophy, Jewish theology, and moral ethics. more

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“We have the power to defy the selfish genes of our birth and, if necessary, the selfish memes of our indoctrination. We can even discuss ways of deliberately cultivating and nurturing pure, disinterested altruism - something that has no place in nature, something that has never existed before in the whole history of the world. We are built as gene machines and cultured as meme machines, but we have the power to turn against our creators. We, alone on earth, can rebel against the tyranny of the selfish replicators.”

“Time and again, my sociobiological colleagues have upbraided me as a turncoat, because I will not agree with them that the ultimate criterion for the success of a meme must be its contribution to Darwinian "fitness". At bottom, they insist, a "good meme" spreads because brains are receptive to it, and the receptiveness of brains is ultimately shaped by (genetic) natural selection.”