The Case Against Reality
Donald Hoffman · 2019
"Evolution shapes perception for fitness, not truth — what you perceive as space, time, and objects may be a species-specific interface rather than an accurate window onto reality itself."
Hoffman's central metaphor is a computer desktop: the folder icon you click is not the electrons and code underneath it, but a useful interface that hides that complexity so you can act efficiently. He argues your perception of objects, space, and time works the same way — a simplified interface evolution built, not a direct view of whatever reality actually is underneath.
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The Selfish Gene (and Memes)
"The gene, not the organism, is the true unit of natural selection — animals are 'survival machines' built by genes to replicate themselves, and culture spreads by an analogous unit Dawkins named the meme."