This View Of Life

“This View of Life: Completing the Darwinian Revolution” by David Sloan Wilson is a comprehensive exploration of how Darwin’s theory of evolution can be applied to understanding human societies and culture. Here’s a summary:

The Darwinian Revolution: Wilson begins by discussing the profound impact of Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution by natural selection. He emphasizes that while the theory revolutionized our understanding of the natural world, its implications for understanding human behavior and society have been underappreciated.

Evolutionary Theory Beyond Biology: Wilson argues that evolutionary theory can and should be applied to understanding human societies, cultures, and behaviors. He explores how evolutionary principles can shed light on topics such as cooperation, altruism, morality, and religion.

Multilevel Selection: One of the central concepts Wilson discusses is multilevel selection theory, which posits that evolution operates at multiple levels, including genes, individuals, groups, and even entire societies. He argues that understanding the interplay between selection at these different levels is crucial for understanding human social behavior.

Human Nature: Wilson delves into the concept of human nature and argues that it is shaped by both genetic and cultural evolution. He explores how evolutionary processes have influenced fundamental aspects of human behavior, such as cooperation, competition, and sociality.

Policy Implications: Wilson contends that understanding human social behavior through an evolutionary lens has important implications for public policy. He suggests that policies aimed at promoting human well-being should take into account our evolved predispositions and the social environments that shape them.

Cultural Evolution: Finally, Wilson discusses the concept of cultural evolution, which he sees as an extension of biological evolution. He explores how cultural traits, such as language, technology, and social norms, evolve over time through processes of variation, selection, and transmission.

Overall, “This View of Life” offers a compelling argument for the importance of incorporating evolutionary theory into our understanding of human societies and cultures. Wilson demonstrates how evolutionary principles can provide valuable insights into a wide range of social phenomena, with implications for fields ranging from psychology and sociology to economics and public policy.