Richard Dawkins is the author of The Selfish Gene. At the time of writing, Dawkins was a zoology lecturer, not widely known to the public. Since then, he has become a public intellectual, in part due to the success of The Selfish Gene, his debut book.

Dawkins is an ethologist, researching animal behavior. Through the study of animals, Dawkins has realized that biological organisms—including humans—act as robotic servants to genes. His perspective on evolution as occurring primarily at the level of genes, rather than of individuals or populations, separates Dawkins from other practicing biologists and the general public. However, his gene selection view has grown in favor.

Charles Darwin is considered the father of evolution. He developed the theory from his observations of animals. Dawkins often refers to Darwin.

John Maynard Smith developed the theory of evolutionarily stable strategies. This game theory can explain aggression in animals. Dawkins also applies the ideas extensively to explain how genes evolve.