The Meme Machine

138 THE MEME MACHINE
Celibacy
We can now return to those aspects of modern life that I suggested provided a
special challenge to sociobiology; celibacy, birth control, and adoption.
Why would anyone voluntarily remain celibate and forego all the pleasures
of sex? Unless they are constructed entirely differently from the rest of us, they
will presumably have to fight hard against the natural desire to have loving
physical relationships and to relieve the occasional, or even persistent and
desperate need for sex. Celibate people cannot, by definition, pass on their
genes. So why do they do it?
Genetic explanations are not impossible. Celibate men or women might,
under some circumstances, better promote the survival of their genes by caring
for siblings or nieces and nephews. This is known to happen in some territorial
birds. For example, when territories are scarce young unmated males help at the
nests of their siblings. They may get a territory of their own in future seasons,
but for now helping out their nieces and nephews may genetically be the best
bet. Certainly, among humans the loving maiden aunt and generous bachelor
uncle are well known, and nepotism is common enough to warrant having its
own name. Also, we have already considered one marriage system in which
many people remain celibate but their genes still do better because of the
impoverished environment.
So genes and environment might account for some kinds of celibacy but what
about the celibate priest in a wealthy society? He cannot have inherited the
celibate lifestyle genetically. He is unlikely to spend his time tending his
brothers’ children and grandchildren, and his absence from the family is unlikely
to benefit them by leaving more food for them to eat. If he is truly celibate (and,
of course, many are not) his genes will die with him. Religious celibacy is a
dead end for genes.
Richard Dawkins gave the just memetic explanation of celibacy in The
Selfish Gene (1976). Suppose, he said, that the success of a meme depends on
how much time and effort people put into propagating it. From the meme’s
point of view any time spent doing anything else is simply time wasted.
Marriage, having children and bringing them up, even sexual activity itself, is a
great waste of time for memes. Suppose, he went on, that marriage weakened
the power of a priest to influence his flock because his wife and children
occupied a large proportion of his time and attention. Then it follows that the
meme for celibacy could have greater survival value than the meme for
marriage. A religion like Roman Catholicism, which insists on celibacy in its