E. O. Wilson has died

j.p.s · 12-27-2021, 03:57 PM

E. O. Wilson died yesterday.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._O._Wilson

You may not think of him as an author, but he wrote over 30 books.

Quoth · 12-28-2021, 12:54 PM

Though an entomologist rather than etymologist.

I've never understood why people being expert scientists are thought to be expert philosophers. Really Science has very little to say about philosophy. Sociobiology is still controversial and seems more like philosophy and speculation than science. However I've not read his books on the subject, though knew of them.

Dawkins is a biologist famous for a book with howlers about theology & philosophy. He seems superficially similar in outlook to E. O. Wilson.

Certainly "social" insects (bees, ants, termites etc) are fascinating, but even intelligent social birds (rooks might be as smart as chimps) or social animals are hard to fathom. Especially as they have vocabulary and not language, see Chomsky.

tomsem · 12-30-2021, 12:49 AM

I have not read anything by EOW but intend to.

Sociobiology’s roots go back to the discovery of evolution itself, if not earlier; Wilson is only one of many contributors. Controversy is part and parcel of the intellectual progress. I don’t think there’s any question that behavior is in part inherited and can be affected by natural selection.

But human behavior is complex, and the more so than animals, because we do have complex language as well as physical culture in the form of technology. So it’s not clear that sociobiology can do much to contribute to our understanding of human behavior overall. It’s probably just as well if it can’t: we already have too many corporations and political groups in the business of influencing human behavior without such ‘understanding’.

Animals (including insects) appear to be ‘simpler’ and amenable to explanations of this sort.

Victoria · 12-31-2021, 03:51 PM

I completely agree with these comments. Human behaviour is very complex, and you can’t just discount human agency. But when I read Sociobiology in university in 1975, I took it at face value, and it really shocked me! It sent my world view tumbling for a while. Kids

But I certainly wasn’t alone. As you say, controversy is part and parcel of intellectual progress, and both he and Dawkins have had a lasting influence.

12-27-2021, 03:57 PM	#1
j.p.s Grand Sorcerer Posts: 5,786 Karma: 103362673 Join Date: Apr 2011 Device: pb360	E. O. Wilson has died E. O. Wilson died yesterday. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E._O._Wilson You may not think of him as an author, but he wrote over 30 books.

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12-28-2021, 12:54 PM	#2
Quoth Still reading Posts: 14,012 Karma: 105092227 Join Date: Jun 2017 Location: Ireland Device: All 4 Kinds: epub eink, Kindle, android eink, NxtPaper	Though an entomologist rather than etymologist. I've never understood why people being expert scientists are thought to be expert philosophers. Really Science has very little to say about philosophy. Sociobiology is still controversial and seems more like philosophy and speculation than science. However I've not read his books on the subject, though knew of them. Dawkins is a biologist famous for a book with howlers about theology & philosophy. He seems superficially similar in outlook to E. O. Wilson. Certainly "social" insects (bees, ants, termites etc) are fascinating, but even intelligent social birds (rooks might be as smart as chimps) or social animals are hard to fathom. Especially as they have vocabulary and not language, see Chomsky.

12-30-2021, 12:49 AM	#3
tomsem Grand Sorcerer Posts: 6,939 Karma: 27060151 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: USA Device: iPhone 15PM, Kindle Scribe, iPad mini 6, PocketBook InkPad Color 3	I have not read anything by EOW but intend to. Sociobiology’s roots go back to the discovery of evolution itself, if not earlier; Wilson is only one of many contributors. Controversy is part and parcel of the intellectual progress. I don’t think there’s any question that behavior is in part inherited and can be affected by natural selection. But human behavior is complex, and the more so than animals, because we do have complex language as well as physical culture in the form of technology. So it’s not clear that sociobiology can do much to contribute to our understanding of human behavior overall. It’s probably just as well if it can’t: we already have too many corporations and political groups in the business of influencing human behavior without such ‘understanding’. Animals (including insects) appear to be ‘simpler’ and amenable to explanations of this sort.

12-31-2021, 03:51 PM	#4
Victoria Wizard Posts: 1,017 Karma: 19767610 Join Date: Mar 2008 Location: Nova Scotia Canada Device: ipad, Kindle PW, Kobo Clara; iphone 7	I completely agree with these comments. Human behaviour is very complex, and you can’t just discount human agency. But when I read Sociobiology in university in 1975, I took it at face value, and it really shocked me! It sent my world view tumbling for a while. Kids But I certainly wasn’t alone. As you say, controversy is part and parcel of intellectual progress, and both he and Dawkins have had a lasting influence.

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