E.O. Wilson

Young Wilson <http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/wil2bio-1>

Despite the lack of consistent human relationships and the difficult transitions into various new schools and communities, Wilson describes his childhood as “blessed” (Naturalist xii). By age seven, he had already found a source of comfort and companionship that is best described as a relationship that many people might have with their siblings. “Animals and plants I could count on,” he writes, “human relationships were more difficult” (Naturalist 52). In each new location, Wilson sought out the natural wonders that awaited him there, and these became the playgrounds and playmates of his youth.

Though the hours upon hours spent in the natural world made much of his childhood experience a happy, peaceful time, in 1936 Wilson writes, “There was trouble at home in this season of fantasy” (Naturalist 6). In this year, Wilson’s mother and father got a divorce, beginning a period of constant relocation during which Wilson was placed with various family members and friends while his parents “untangled their lives” (Naturalist 17). Wilson never grew particularly close to any of the people he stayed with, and eventually his parents enrolled him in the Gulf Coast Military Academy in Gulfport, Mississippi. For a seven-year-old, he recalls, it was a “carefully planned nightmare” (Naturalist 17), an attempt by his parents to provide their young son with a source of routine and stability. Though he spent only one year there, his experience at GCMA instilled in him not only the importance of good, Southern, gentlemanly manners and civility, but also a “special regard for altruism and devotion to duty,” concepts that he is still attempting to understand from a biological perspective.

In addition to his boyhood obsession with nature and natural history, two major events from Wilson’s youth shaped his destiny as one of world’s greatest naturalists and entomologists. While on a fishing trip, seven-year-old Wilson yanked too hard on the fishing line. A spiny fish, with ten narrow spikes sticking out of its back, “flew out of the water and into my face,” piercing the pupil of his right eye (Naturalist 13). As if the pain from the injury weren’t enough, it was followed by a traumatic surgical experience: "Someone held me down while the anesthesiologist…placed a gauze nose cone over my nose and mouth and dripped ether into it…As I lost consciousness I dreamed I was all alone in a large auditorium. I was tied to a chair, unable to move, and screaming" (Naturalist 14). Not only did this experience leave him with severely compromised vision in his right eye, but the poorly handled operation caused a phobia of “being trapped in a closed space with my arms immobilized and my face covered with an obstruction” that has stayed with him to this day (Naturalist 14). Though he cannot see out of his right eye, his left is sharper than average with technically 20/10 vision. This extra-acute vision in his left eye, combined with a hearing disability he has had since birth, limited his options to scientific fields that did not require depth perception or the recognition of certain sounds (for example, bird calls).

Teenage Wilson <http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/wil2bio-1>

The second major event of Wilson’s youth came when he was living in Brewton, Alabama. Throughout his adolescence, Wilson never let risks deter him from constant exploration of his natural surroundings. When he was fifteen years old and had as much knowledge about “the diversity of snakes that other 15-year-old boys seemed automatically to develop in the years and makes of automobiles,” a run-in with a cottonmouth snake became his first life-or-death experience (Naturalist 89). Wilson spent many hours in a swamp owned by Mr. Perry, a sixty-year-old Englishmen who ran a fish hatchery and allowed the teenage Wilson to explore the adjacent swampland. One day, a fully-grown cottonmouth surprised Wilson, accustomed only to seeing less-dangerous, immature cottonmouths in the swamp. Left with very little choice, Wilson “moved into the snake-handler’s routine: pinned the body back of the head, grasped the neck behind the swelling masseteric muscles, and lifted the snake clear of the water” (Naturalist 90). The snake quickly turned violent, thrashing and convulsing, and finally Wilson managed to heave it into a nearby bush.

Many teenagers would have at least shied away from such a risk-filled hobby after an experience like this one; however, Wilson confesses that he enjoyed the adrenaline rush. It did not make him more popular among fellow daredevil teenagers, and he did not even tell his father and stepmother (his caretakers at the time) what had happened. Why? He writes:

My reasons were mixed. They were partly exhilaration at my entry into a

beautiful and complex new world. And partly possessiveness; I had a place that

no one else knew…And ambition; I dreamed I was training myself someday to be

a professional field biologist. And finally, an undeciphered residue, a yearning

remaining deep within me that I have never understood, nor wish to, for fear that

it might vanish. (Naturalist 91)

This yearning that had inspired his childhood and adolescent explorations led Wilson to graduate from the University of Alabama in 1949 with a Bachelor of Science degree in biology, and a year later he obtained his Master of Science in the same subject. Five years later in 1955, he received a Ph.D. in biology from Harvard University at age 26; the same year, he married Irene Kelly (Esten). Soon after, in 1964, he became a professor at Harvard. Throughout the 1950s, Wilson traveled to Cuba, Mexico, Australia, the South Pacific Islands, and Sri Lanka. His study of the native ant species of these regions would eventually feed into the development of his theory of “sociobiology,” the subject and title of one of his most famous books, published in 1975. Without a doubt, his biggest accomplishment in the 1950s was proving his hypothesis that social insects use chemical releasers—what we now know as pheromones—to communicate. This discovery caused a dramatic increase in scientific interest and research on social insects, and it made E.O. Wilson famous as “the world’s foremost authority on ants” (Esten).

Wilson the professor <http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/wil2bio-1>

II. Major Works

Throughout the 1960s, Wilson collaborated with Robert MacArthur, a mathematician and ecologist. Through their joint research, and a dramatic experiment in which Wilson completely eliminated an insect population in a tiny Florida Keys Island and observed the island’s repopulation, Wilson and MacArthur coauthored the book The Theory of Island Biogeography, published in 1967. Furthering his reputation as a renowned entomologist, Wilson published The Insect Societies in 1971, and was appointed Curator of Insects at the Museum of Comparative Zoology, part of the Harvard University Museum of Natural History. The 1970s and 80s saw the publication of Wilson’s most famous works, which covered an astounding variety of topics. From The Insect Societies, in which Wilson categorized and classified all the information known at the time about ants, bees, termites, and wasps, to Sociobiology, defined as "the study of the biological basis of social behavior," these works convey “the depth and breadth of Wilson’s accomplishments” (Nova: Lord of the Ants).

After publishing two more books that develop this idea of sociobiology, Wilson introduced another term to the science world with his 1984 book Biophilia. Literally meaning “love of life,” Wilson describes this theory broadly as “the innate tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes” (Biophilia 1). Moving from the exploration of the human relationship (both physical and psychological) with the natural world, Wilson returned to his roots as a myrmecologist and published another entomological book entitled The Ants in 1990. After he wrote his autobiography Naturalist in 1995, Wilson published a book called Consilience in 1998. In it, Wilson urges that all branches of human inquiry join together to address the ethical and moral problems facing humanity. Though this topic may seem intimidating in its broadness, it exemplifies E.O. Wilson’s passion for synthesizing the developments, research, and discoveries of different disciplines, which he does, to a lesser degree, in each of his works (Nova: Lord of the Ants).

<http://jchemed.chem.wisc.edu/jcewww/features/halspicks/HalspicksCovers/naturalist.jpg>

Complete List of Books by E.O. Wilson:

• The Theory of Island Biogeography, with Robert H. MacArthur (1967)
• A Primer of Population Biology, with William H. Bossert (1971)
• The Insect Societies (1971); finalist, National Book Award, 1972; 100 Top Science Books of Century, American Scientist, 1999
• Life on Earth, with 6 co-authors (1973); second edition (1978)
• Sociobiology: The New Synthesis (1975); finalist, National Book Award, 1976; the abridged edition (1980)
• On Human Nature (1978); Pulitzer Prize, General Non-Fiction, 1979
• Caste and Ecology in the Social Insects, with George F. Oster (1978)
• Genes, Mind, and Culture, with Charles J. Lumsden (1981)
• Promethean Fire, with Charles J. Lumsden (1983)
• Biophilia (1984)
• Scientific American Readings: Ecology, Evolution, and Population Biology, editor (1974) Animal Behavior, co-edited with Thomas Eisner (1975) The Insects, co-edited with Thomas Eisner (1977)
• Biodiversity, editor (1988)
• The Ants, with Bert Holldobler (1990); Pulitzer Prize, General Non-Fiction, 1991; No.27 in "100 best nonfiction books written in English during the 20th century" (Modern Library)
• Success and Dominance in Ecosystems: The Case of the Social Insects (1990)
• The Diversity of Life (1992); finalist, National Book Critics Circle Award, 1993; finalist, Rhone-Poulene Prize; Wildlife Society Book Award, 1993; 200 outstanding books of the Century, N.Y. Public Library, 1995; Reading for the Environment, Deutsche Umweltstiftung, book prize for the German edition, 1998
• The Biophilia Hypothesis, co-edited with Stephen R. Kellert (1993)
• Journey to the Ants, with Bert Ho'lldobler (1994); finalist, Rhone-Poulenc Prize
• Naturalist (1994); Books to Remember citation, N.Y. Public Library, 1995; Best 11 Books of 1994, N. Y. Times BookReview; finalist, National Book Critics Circle Award, 1995; Benjamin Franklin Award, Publishers Marketing Association, 1995
• Biodiversity II: Understanding and Protecting Our Natural Resources, co-edited with Marjorie L. Reaka-Kudla and Don E. Wilson (1996)
• In Search of Nature (1996)
• Consilience:The Unity of Knowledge (1998)
• Biological Diversity: The Oldest Human Heritage (New York State Museum, Albany, 1999)

(DiscoverLife.org)

III. A Humanistic Scientist, or a Scientific Humanist?

The sciences are Wilson’s inspiration, and it is through his deep passion for the Humanities that these inspirations find expression. It would be impossible to assert that Wilson is a scientist over a humanist, or a humanist over a scientist. For him, these identities are wholly and completely intertwined, and they have been all his life. In an interview at University of California San Diego, he acknowledges that scientists and humanists often find difficulty relating to and working with each other. Scientists, he admits, tend to zoom in on a subject and devote themselves to smaller concepts. Humanists, conversely, often become absorbed in larger, more abstract ideas (interview at UCSD). Though he understands why there is often a rift between the sciences and the humanities, it does anything but deter him from synthesizing the two areas in his own life and work.

Wilson’s book Biophilia, published in 1984, illustrates the way in which he combines his love for both disciplines. “Biophilia” itself is a scientific concept. Simply put, it is “the innate tendency to focus on life and lifelike processes,” which proves that “to explore and affiliate with life is a deep and complicated process in mental development” (Biophilia 1). Throughout the book, Wilson illustrates the scientific logic supporting this theory. However, thanks to Wilson’s “graceful, lucid prose” (Esten), which won him two Pulitzer Prize for Non-Fiction awards for his books On Human Nature and The Ants, Biophilia is by far more readable and engaging than most scientific books.

Novelist Ian McEwan praises Wilson’s writing style: “Frankly, I do not know of another working scientist whose prose is better than his. He can be witty, scathing and inspirational by turns. He is a superb celebrator of science in all its manifestations…” (qtd. in Douglas). In Biophilia, Wilson incorporates personal anecdotes, scientific evidence, and explanations of his ideas and opinions—all of which he presents in an organized, methodical layout, a result of his background in education. Beginning with the concept of “The Superorganism” and leading to his discussion of “The Conservation Ethic” in the next-to-last chapter, Wilson uses personal experiences and scientific experiments to explore with his readers the relationship between mankind and the natural world.

Wilson’s persistent synthesis of scientific and humanist concepts charges each chapter of this book with an infectious energy. This synthesis is both deliberate and explicit, keeping the reader actively involved in the development of Wilson’s ideas. “Come with me now,” Wilson writes at the beginning of the chapter “Birds of Paradise” (Biophilia 54). He proceeds to break down the broad nature of “the sciences,” admitting that they often clash with the humanities in their determination to quantify nature and be “insensitive to art” (Biophilia 54). Throughout the chapter, he explains for the non-scientists of the world the scientist’s mentality, thought process, and sources of inspiration, all the while showing his obvious love of the humanities as well. He concludes with an explanation of why he connects these two subjects in the first place. "With each new phase of synthesis to emerge from biological inquiry, the humanities will expand their reach and capability. In symmetric fashion, with each redirection of the humanities, science will add dimensions to human biology" (Biophilia 55).

Acknowledging that he is one of the lucky few with extraordinary affinity for both disciplines, he shows not only how important each one is to his life, but also his determination to unite humanists and scientists for the ultimate benefit of both fields. Each has the potential to propel the advancement of the other, he argues, and in the end, “both are enterprises of discovery" (Biophilia 63).

IV. Spirituality and the Sciences

Religion and the Sciences are notorious for their ideological conflicts throughout history. Just as Wilson is in an ideal position to explore the tensions between the sciences and the humanities, he also offers a unique perspective on the ongoing clashes between scientists and persons of various religious faiths. Growing up in a fundamentalist Baptist family in the Deep South, religion has always been a part of Wilson’s life. Though he left the church for the world of nature and scientific discovery, he found himself surprisingly moved by a gospel choir that sang at a service held by the father of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Harvard University. Embracing all things scientific, yet realizing that his Baptist background would always have an influence on his life, Wilson addresses religion from a unique, biological standpoint (McKie). “Religious dogmas,” he explains, are “rich and powerful end products of a combined gene and culture evolution of the consensual, cooperative behavior that is the hallmark of the human species” (“A Conversation” 249).

Wilson himself, though not religious, is an extremely spiritual person. He writes in a recorded conversation held with Stephen Pope and Philip Hefner: “This is my spirituality: devotion to the natural environment from which humanity arose, and with all of the overtones of wonder and honest self-evaluation and even exaltation available from which humans can benefit” (“A Conversation” 250). His is a humanity-centered, humanity-inspired spirituality, and this, combined with his irrepressible scientific curiosity, allows him to study religion objectively as a product of various cultural and societal developments, a source of comfort and ethical principles.

Wilson strongly advocates a constant dialogue between religion and the sciences. In an excerpt from his 2006 book The Creation entitled “Letter to a Southern Baptist Minister,” Wilson and presents his reasoning and his impassioned plea to a Baptist pastor in a warm, frank manner. Holding fast to his own identity as a “secular humanist,” yet extremely understanding of his audience’s point of view, he writes with the utmost politeness and friendliness. Acknowledging that he sees “no way to avoid the fundamental differences in our respective worldviews,” he insists that “you and I and every other human being strive for the same imperatives of security, freedom of choice, personal dignity, and a cause to believe in that is larger than ourselves” ("Letter to a Southern Baptist Minister").

The essence of Wilson’s “letter” is that what unifies believers of science and religion is more important than the ideological differences that have traditionally divided them. There is a common cause: protecting the natural world. Sincerity and urgency communicate to all readers Wilson’s deep commitment to this cause. He states simply, “I suggest that we set aside our differences in order to save the Creation,” because “to protect the beauty of the Earth and of its prodigious variety of life forms should be a common goal, regardless of differences in our metaphysical beliefs” ("Letter to a Southern Baptist Minister"). In this case, the synthesis of two opposing world-views is, in Wilson’s opinion, a “life and death issue” ("Letter to a Southern Baptist Minister).

Conclusion: From Thoreau to Wilson, and From Wilson to Thoreau