Review of SCIENTIST
E. O. Wilson's Sociobiology and its unrelenting controversy
The book Sociobiology, published by E. O. Wilson in 1975, is a classic among evolutionary psychologists, and marked the founding of a new discipline borne out of a deep understanding of how species evolve and interact socially – but also out of conflict within the Harvard biology department in the 1950s.
Scientist: E. O. Wilson: A Life in Nature by Richard Rhodes tells the story of one of the most famous evolutionary biologists of our time, E. O. Wilson, whose eminent career has spawned decades, countless new species, and new scientific disciplines. From small town Alabama, Wilson began his career young, fascinated by ants found in his own backyard. Excelling in science, he managed to obtain an undergraduate degree and caught the eye of Harvard who invited him to study for his doctorate, and eventually offered him a position as an assistant professor.
Also arriving at Harvard in the 1950s was James Watson who had, along with Francis Crick, just published on the structure of DNA in 1953. Both Watson and Wilson began their professorships at Harvard in 1956 but they were anything but fast friends. Watson, in his typical aggressive manner, looked down on Wilson’s expertise as a field biologist and fought to elevate microbiology arguing that the future of biology was in the lab. The field biologists – “stamp collectors” as Watson called them – were dated, of another era.
Wilson, of course, disagreed.
To resolve the conflict, Harvard biology split in two departments: one focused on microbiology in the lab and the other on evolutionary biology in the field. In the subsequent decades, E. O. Wilson made nearly countless scientific advances in the field. He discovered new species, established frameworks for understanding how species immigrate and go extinct, was the first to demonstrate that ants use pheromones to communicate, published hundreds of articles and dozens of books.
A turning point of his career, however, was when he published Sociobiology and the subsequent popular version, On Human Nature. The books, which explain the evolution of social behavior in animals (and humans near the end of the book) was revolutionary – but not all saw it as such.
Anthropologists in particular disapproved of this modern synthesis, arguing predominantly for the role of culture in understanding human behavior and refusing to be subsumed under the new discipline. The debates surrounding sociobiology of the 1970s are not much different than the debates of today surrounding evolutionary psychology, a specific scientific field that was borne largely from Wilson’s work. False claims, misunderstandings and misapplications of both fields continue to this day.
Wilson endured harassment for years because of his book, so much so that he eventually retreated to the field and focused his efforts on advocating for conservation of biodiversity. He’s led efforts to document all life on earth which resulted in the Encyclopedia of Life. He is even currently working on a new synthesis – how ecosystems form – at the age of 92 with inspiration from the mathematics of origami. Perhaps yet another breakthrough is on the horizon.
Scientist was a great book, shedding light on the rich life of a man who has had so much influence on evolutionary biology. I am somewhat embarrassed to admit how little I knew about him given his status in my own field of study, evolutionary psychology. But after reading Rhodes biography of Wilson, I’m looking forward to picking up some of Wilson’s popular books including On Human Nature and Tales From the Ant World.
Published: November 2021
Format: Hardcover
If you think this sounds interesting, bookmark these other great reads:
The Code Breaker: Jennifer Doudna, Gene Editing, and the Future of the Human Race by Walter Isaacson (2021)
The Tangled Tree: A Radical New History of Life by David Quammen (2019)
Please note: this post contains affiliate links, allowing me to earn a small commission when you purchase books from the link provided. There is no cost to you, and this will allow me to keep this newsletter free and open to all. Happy reading!