In June 1975, the distinguished Harvard entomologist Edward O. Wilson published a truly huge book entitled, Sociobiology: The New Synthesis. In this book, drawing on both fact and theory, Wilson tried to present a com prehensive overview of the rapidly growing subject of 'sociobiology', the study of the biological nature and foundations of animal behaviour, more precisely animal social behaviour. Although, as the title rather implies, Wilson was more surveying and synthesising than developing new material, he com pensated by giving the most thorough and inclusive treatment possible, beginning in the animal world with the most simple of forms, and progressing via insects, lower invertebrates, mammals and primates, right up to and in cluding our own species, Homo sapiens. Initial reaction to the book was very favourable, but before the year was out it came under withering attack from a group of radical scientists in the Boston area, who styled themselves 'The Science for the People Sociobiology Study Group'. Criticism, of course, is what every academic gets (and needs!); but, for two reasons, this attack was particularly unpleasant. First, not only were Wilson's ideas attacked, but he himself was smeared by being linked with the most reactionary of political thinkers, including the Nazis.

Keywords

sociobiology

Authors and Affiliations

University of Guelph, Guelph, Canada

Michael Ruse

Bibliographic Information

Book Title: Sociobiology: Sense or Nonsense?
Authors: Michael Ruse
Series Title: Critical Issues in Psychiatry
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-9389-1
Publisher: Springer Dordrecht
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive
Copyright Information: Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 1979
Softcover ISBN: 978-94-009-9391-4Published: 13 November 2013
eBook ISBN: 978-94-009-9389-1Published: 09 March 2013
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIII, 233
Number of Illustrations: 5 b/w illustrations
Topics: Science, Humanities and Social Sciences, multidisciplinary

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Table of contents (9 chapters)

Front Matter

Back Matter

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