Tim Lenton is intrigued by E. O. Wilson's sweeping perspective on humanity's past — and possible futures.
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Lenton, T. Evolution: Tribes like us. Nature 513, 310–311 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1038/513310a
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/513310a
David Tyler
Tim Lenton is right to use the word "nihilism" to describe Wilson?s agenda. He is also right to question the title of the book, saying "What Wilson is after is really a deeper understanding of human existence." It seems to me that what we have here is a repackaged scientism, that claims to explain "meaning" but ends up emptying it of content. Human consciousness is supposed to result from neural firings; free agency is an adaptation to keep us from going mad; salvation is achieved by emulating imaginary aliens. Sociobiologists start with the presupposition that ants and other social animals are "model systems" to understand human existence, but that starting point is never justified ? only asserted.