▁the ▁purpose ▁in ▁the ▁mind ▁of ▁the ▁Div ine ▁Engine er ▁of ▁Nature , ▁or ▁the ▁Util ity ▁Function ▁of ▁God . ▁ ▁According ▁to ▁Daw kins , ▁it ▁is ▁a ▁mistake ▁to ▁assume ▁that ▁an ▁e cos ystem ▁or ▁a ▁species ▁as ▁a ▁whole ▁exists ▁for ▁a ▁purpose . ▁In ▁fact , ▁it ▁is ▁wrong ▁to ▁suppose ▁that ▁individual ▁organ isms ▁lead ▁a ▁meaning ful ▁life ▁either . ▁In ▁nature , ▁only ▁gen es ▁have ▁a ▁utility ▁function ▁– ▁to ▁perpet uate ▁their ▁own ▁existence ▁with ▁ind ifference ▁to ▁great ▁suffer ings ▁inf lic ted ▁upon ▁the ▁organ isms ▁they ▁build , ▁explo it ▁and ▁disc ard . ▁As ▁hint ed ▁at ▁in ▁chapter ▁one , ▁gen es ▁are ▁the ▁supre me ▁l ords ▁of ▁the ▁natural ▁world . ▁In ▁other ▁words , ▁the ▁unit ▁of ▁selection ▁is ▁the ▁gene , ▁not ▁an ▁individual , ▁or ▁any ▁other ▁higher - order ▁group ▁as ▁champion ed ▁by ▁pro ponents ▁of ▁group ▁selection . ▁ ▁As ▁long ▁as ▁an ▁organ ism ▁surv ives ▁its ▁child hood ▁and ▁man ages ▁to ▁reproduce ▁thus ▁passing ▁its ▁gen es ▁down ▁to ▁the ▁next ▁generation , ▁what ▁happens ▁to ▁the ▁parent ▁organ ism ▁afterwards ▁does ▁not ▁really ▁bother ▁gen es . ▁Because ▁an ▁organ ism ▁is ▁always ▁at ▁the ▁danger ▁of ▁dying ▁from ▁acc idents ▁( a ▁waste ▁of ▁invest ment ), ▁it ▁pays ▁for ▁the ▁gen es ▁to ▁build ▁an ▁organ ism ▁which ▁po ols ▁almost ▁all ▁its ▁resources ▁to ▁produce ▁off spring ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁possible