The Drama Within
We are fortunate that Dawkins showed the courage to move beyond established views to explain how genes achieve a form of immortality. His "Selfish Gene" theory draws attention to and emphasizes the idea of their virtual immortality.
Yet the theory falters by denying gene awareness unequivocally. In a scenario that rejects any guiding force and relies instead on chance events, Dawkins must allow for the unexpected — especially over the billions of years during which genes have developed, as highlighted by the Law of Truly Large Numbers.
Because DNA reliably replicates and adapts, it is reasonable to expect that, given enough time, something like a super polygene could emerge, and lead to awareness, consciousness, and intelligence. Without invoking supernatural explanations, these qualities must then arise from genes themselves — the foundation of conscious, intelligent beings.
Still, conscious intelligent life is more than “survival machines,” because it has a destiny. Perhaps at first, as Dawkins suggests, life developed catch-as-catch-can: devoid of meaning, the product of intense competition between DNA strains.
Over the vast timescales it took to develop complex life, however, something extraordinary happened. Awareness and intelligence became traits promoting meaningful choice — the act, power, and opportunity to consciously select between two or more possibilities.
Nowhere is this act of choice in the Drama Within better exemplified than with the Cosmic Egg.
