Connections
Was it genetic, or made by our environment; and if it was genetic, could we change it?
People feared that those who opposed Civil Rights could argue that racism was genetic, or that the theory could be used to justify eugenics.
This argument is not so widespread today, but if one could prove that behaviors such as racism and sexism were genetic, it would have serious consequences for those movements.
People feared that those who opposed Civil Rights could argue that racism was genetic, or that the theory could be used to justify eugenics.
This argument is not so widespread today, but if one could prove that behaviors such as racism and sexism were genetic, it would have serious consequences for those movements.
Socially, EO Wilson’s work will resonate for decades. Not only did it raise questions regarding whether our behavior is influenced by our DNA, it also spurred research and the eventual discovery that religion is built into our genes. Religion is meant to bring good to the practitioner, and we as humans like to look up to something bigger than ourselves. This does not mean that there is a higher being, or that humans need religion, but there is a tendency for humans to have religion that does not exist among other species, and scientists have linked this to a predisposition coded for by our DNA.
Another consequence of E.O. Wilson’s work was increasing evidence that man was responsible for extinctions of animals all over the world. It was apparent after his work that some researchers might be abusing basic animal rights. The combination of these two things began to lead to a huge environmental conservation movement, which includes amongst their ranks the E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation.