According to Dawkins, genes evolve for their own sake. The fundamental level of selection is the molecular gene, not the species or even the individual. The selfish gene does not necessarily imply selfish individuals, although it does often produce selfish individuals. Altruism, including kin altruism such as a mother feeding infants, gets portrayed as specific examples of the selfish gene.

Genes can survive for hundreds of millions of years, in the form of accurate copies. Organisms and groups of organisms survive much less time. The longevity enables genes to evolve. Genes originally arose as replicating molecules. These molecules proved far more effective than non-replicating molecules in Earth’s environment. Therefore, they quickly spread out and dominated the planet. Today, replicating molecules (genes) control plants and animals and other organisms. As such, they continue to run the planet. This reverses the common human viewpoint, such that humans become mere machines.

Dawkins regularly describes humans (along with other animals and plants) as machines. The machines are built not for their own sake, but merely to convey genes. This provides a framework for explaining human behaviors, including selfishness and altruism.

Individual humans (and other species) die too quickly for evolution to take place, as do their groupings.