Sociobiology
Graphic by Sharon
What is sociobiology according to Wilson?
It is a field of biology examining and explaining social behavior in terms of evolution. Wilson used sociobiology to explain the behavior done by social insects, and to further understand social behavior done by other animals such as humans. According to Wilson, all animals are incredibly influenced by our genes or gene combinations that we inherited, which are a product of natural selection. All animal social behavior is ruled by epigenetics, due to evolution. This theory gave rise to much criticism and contraversial, yet was highly influential.
One example for how sociobiology works is optimal foraging. Animals tend to exhaust the least amount of energy to obtain maximum food. Sociobiologists viewed this instinctual behavior of maximizing food with minimal effort as being inherited through the genes of successfully reproducing animals, who managed to survive partly due to their ability to engage in optimal foraging. Those who did not have this behavior may have died out as those lions were less successful in finding food for survival, and hence reproduction.
3 categories of sociobiology
Criticism
Sociobiology is very much controversial with regard to application to humans. This was in the realm of pop sociobiology. It disputes the theory that we are born a blank slate (also known as tabula rasa), without any innate mental content, and that our behavior is governed only by experiences we encounter after birth.
Wilson’s colleagues at Harvard, Richard Lewontin and Stephen Jay Gould, opposed strongly to Wilson’s ideas on sociobiology. Both of them, along with other scientists, wrote an open letter to Wilson, aptly named “Against Sociobiology”, criticizing him for his idea. It seemed like a slippery slope to many, as many assumed that Wilson’s theory will be used to justify discrimination and prejudice in the society, with regards to race, gender, and social class. Wilson was assumed to be ignoring learning and culture altogether.
However, Wilson actually did recognise the significance of learning and an individual’s personal experience in bahavior, but felt that these experiences simply amplified the differences, however minor, of the in- built genetics between individuals.
The extent of how controversial his idea was and the impact it made can be seen by an incident that occurred back in November 1978, during one of Wilson’s lectures. He was attacked by the International Committee Against Racism, where one of the members poured water over his head, with everyone chanting “Wilson, you’re all wet”.
His book on sociobiology:
Graphic by amazon.co.uk
To find out what other books he has written,