Altruism In E. O. Wilson's In Search Of Nature
Reaction Paper #5
In E.O. Wilson’s In Search of Nature, Altruism in regards to nature, whether is be human or animalistic, is explored through sociobiology. As Wilson compares the societies of animals and humans to further understand the inheritance of social behaviors, he notably credits altruistic suicide as the ultimate act of courage despite it’s probability to disappear over time. Consequently, Wilson’s use of sociobiology to understand altruism creates hierarchal standards for sacrifice that humanity’s conception of altruism will challenge as time progresses.
E.O. Wilson argues that not all altruism is equal in merit. Altruistic suicide is perceived as the highest level at which a person can be altruistic. In reference to soldiers who leap onto grenades to protect their comrades, Wilson mentions, “Such altruistic self-sacrifice is the ultimate act of courage and emphatically deserves the …show more content…
If the concept of altruistic suicide were applied to modern social justice issues, would humanity still view this altruism as courageous? If corporations distributed their profits more equally among their work force, altruistic suicide in the economic sense, executives would sacrifice their affluent livelihood by altering their income. Unlike conventional altruistic suicide though, this examples of selflessness is seemingly controversial.
Wilson initially argues, “It is only the extreme act that lies beyond the innumerable smaller performance of kindness and giving that bind societies together”(75). The literal concept of altruistic suicide can generally be accepted as noble, but in the future of humanity, altruism will reach beyond the realm of what it is understood to be today. Because of the scale of altruism Wilson discusses, humanity will continue to value altruistic suicide as the most honorable means of
In E.O. Wilson’s In Search of Nature, Altruism in regards to nature, whether is be human or animalistic, is explored through sociobiology. As Wilson compares the societies of animals and humans to further understand the inheritance of social behaviors, he notably credits altruistic suicide as the ultimate act of courage despite it’s probability to disappear over time. Consequently, Wilson’s use of sociobiology to understand altruism creates hierarchal standards for sacrifice that humanity’s conception of altruism will challenge as time progresses.
E.O. Wilson argues that not all altruism is equal in merit. Altruistic suicide is perceived as the highest level at which a person can be altruistic. In reference to soldiers who leap onto grenades to protect their comrades, Wilson mentions, “Such altruistic self-sacrifice is the ultimate act of courage and emphatically deserves the …show more content…
If the concept of altruistic suicide were applied to modern social justice issues, would humanity still view this altruism as courageous? If corporations distributed their profits more equally among their work force, altruistic suicide in the economic sense, executives would sacrifice their affluent livelihood by altering their income. Unlike conventional altruistic suicide though, this examples of selflessness is seemingly controversial.
Wilson initially argues, “It is only the extreme act that lies beyond the innumerable smaller performance of kindness and giving that bind societies together”(75). The literal concept of altruistic suicide can generally be accepted as noble, but in the future of humanity, altruism will reach beyond the realm of what it is understood to be today. Because of the scale of altruism Wilson discusses, humanity will continue to value altruistic suicide as the most honorable means of