Herb, Alice, and Hal, the Baby
Genes should be viewed as abstract informational entities, not just DNA molecules, analogous to how Shakespeare's play 'Hamlet' is not made of ink but is an abstract pattern that can be embodied in different media.
THE IDEA
The late evolutionary theorist George Williams argued that identifying genes with DNA molecules is a mistake, similar to thinking that Hamlet is made of ink. While any copy of the play must be physically instantiated (e.g., ink on paper, pixels on a screen, binary code on a CD), the play itself is an abstract, informational entity that can move between media. Similarly, genes are abstract recipes for making proteins, independent of their physical substrate. This view has been contested. To address doubts, especially from philosopher Peter Godfrey-Smith, the author constructed an intuition pump. That thought experiment is missing from this entry.
When to use it
Explaining the concept of genetic information to students in biology or philosophy.
Debating reductionism in philosophy of science.
Designing experiments that focus on information flow rather than molecular details.
FROM THEORY TO EVERYDAY LIFE
In practice
Hamlet and Ink
Identifying genes with DNA is like thinking that the play Hamlet is made of ink. The play exists independently of its physical form.
Genes as Recipes
A gene is a recipe for a protein; the recipe can be stored in DNA, RNA, or even written on paper, but the information is the same.
A MOMENT TO REFLECT
Put it to work.
How does the analogy of Hamlet and ink help clarify the nature of genes?
Can you think of other examples where an abstract entity is confused with its physical medium?
What are the implications of treating genes as information for evolutionary theory?
References
- George Williams' evolutionary theory — George Williams
- Peter Godfrey-Smith's philosophy of biology — Peter Godfrey-Smith
CONTINUE THE CONVERSATION
Source texts
- Intuition Pumps and Other Tools for Thinking