The Meaning of Human Existence

All I can say is keep your mind open when you read this book. Some things I did not agree with, but very very good read and many items presented to consider about our species.

I read this book because of its ambitious title, high ratings, and the author’s reputation. In my reading, I look for ideas that help me understand life. I am new to this topic area but think Wilson’s book meets this test.Wilson is a committed evolutionary biologist. He focuses on how genetics interact with behavior and evolution. He argues that our genes have evolved over millions of years through natural selection. Chance selection has played a miraculous role; statistically, humanity should not exist. Genetic evolution gave rise to larger brains in humans, capable of the memory needed to master language and complex skills, such as hunting, planting, and defending communities. Wilson argues convincingly that genetics underlie human feelings such as fear and that some feelings have been inherited across thousands of generations.I grew up in a time that emphasized learned, socialized behaviors over our physical composition. Genetics was somewhat discredited because of misguided links with racism. Also, I think we wanted to believe we could overcome our human biology. I take Wilson to suggest that our emotions, loves, hates, fears, appetites, aspirations, and more function within the context of our inherited genetic framework. Thus, prejudice, aggression, and other negatives are not simply learned behaviors.For me this was hard reading emotionally and intellectually. Emotionally because Wilson pretty much buries existing religion and with it, much of our art, music, and literature. Even if trees are really biological accidents, I still resonate with Kilmer’s observation that “Only God Can Make a Tree.” To me, God is at least a useful metaphor—somewhat like windows in computers. As an abstraction, the metaphor helps explain complex things I don’t always need to understand. Intellectually, Wilson has traveled a path different from my own, so I struggled somewhat with the rich set of modern biological terms, theories, and their relationships.Most importantly, Wilson helps me see our human condition more clearly. We can use our science and technology to preserve and improve life or destroy it. Especially, we should take Wilson’s ideas on the biological basis for conflict and war seriously. Also, we should probably work harder at seeing the human role in harming our planet and finding better ways. As biology and science supplant the creation stories of old, we need new and more reliable guides for our moral choices.

In his spare and charming style, Wilson seeks meaning in our personal lives and, thereby, in our trajectory as a species. The critical and complementary roles of the humanities and the sciences are well argued, the forces that have shaped our evolution as a species are identified clearly, and our place in the greater biota, known and unknown, is considered. While Wilson acknowledges that many of his arguments have been made elsewhere, there is no doubt that he has collated these into a cogent and compelling contemplation on the future of humanity.Wilson establishes his usual allegory between human society and the eusocial animals, insects mainly. Readers will be aware that there remains significant controversy with his theories in this area, which he in part acknowledges, but this does not deride from his central premise anyway. Nit-picking is easy – I had some difficulty with a scientist including ‘particle spin’, which has precise and not continuous values, amongst the continua which science studies. There similarly seems to be some internal contradiction in the precise areas in which he sees eye to eye with Richard Dawkins on the role of kin selection. He says that philosophers say that they “will attend to (the topic of free will) when we’re ready and have time”. In fairness, there is hardly a more kicked around topic in philosophy than that of free will. Nevertheless, rather than weaken it, these statements enliven Wilson’s commentary. His summation that “the history of philosophy when boiled down consists mostly of failed models of the brain” is, well, kind of tough but more than a little true.Wilson pulls it all together in his final chapter, “A Human Future”. The ‘hard-wiring’ flaws of our evolved brains and some dogmatic and often selfish legacies of our societal evolution: these are not hurdles for the species to overcome as much as realities to understand and integrate into our world view as we realise humanity’s future. This is an articulate and accessible treatise on human potential. Is it ‘singing to the choir’? Perhaps, but, alas, that seems also to be how some of the obstacles to human enlightenment have become entrenched.

This highly readable text takes on perhaps the most important issue for all humankind from vantage point of an intelligent and remarkably informed mind. The emphasis on biological evolution as the origin of all life including human is solid and convincing. Continuing from his previous writings on consilience, the author proposes a stimulating and productive view of the complementarity of science and the humanities - a refreshing view from a scientist. The criticism of religion in this book is sure to incur opposition but should instead prompt introspection and renewed self-criticism from the religious. Perhaps the aspect of religion that gets relatively little treatment in this book is its role in helping humans cope with the fear of death. The author exemplifies clear-eyed strength of character and intellectual honesty in his analysis and conclusion about the false basis of all religions, but it would be interesting and perhaps productive to take the same approach to a more in-depth analysis of the origin and function of religion in shielding believers from facing their mortality and in celebrating altruistic, compassionate behavior. Until the majority of the human race finds a way to cope with the fear of death without the crutch of religion, it seems doubtful that the grip of religion and its myths will ever be released. Where else does the courage come from to face the truth of mortal human existence?

In this book Wilson writes about biology and global biodiversity in the evolution of humanity.

En libro explora y nos permite entender nuestra historia evolutiva y nuestro lugar en el mundo. La conciencia humana y su capacidad imaginativa tiene unas particularidades que se fueron desarrollando a lo largo de mucho tiempo y entender nuestra consciencia y mente y sus antecedentes evolutivos nos permite proyectar mejor nuestro sentido en este planeta más allá de la mera sobrevivencia. Si bien la inteligencia humana tiene un aspecto de sobrevivencia, la cultura nos permite trascender esa función meramente adaptativa para permitirnos definir el sentido que le queremos dar a nuestra existencia. La apuesta de Wilson de entablar un diálogo entre las ciencias y las humanidades es uno de los mayores aciertos del texto y de los estudios actuales en divulgación de la ciencia, estas dos ramas tiene que poder colaborar si queremos lograr incidir favorablemente en nuestra sociedad y nuestro futuro. La ceguera de los científicos respecto a las humanidades y viceversa, sólo puede perdernos y enfrascarnos en puntos de vista parciales y obtusos, necesitamos los dos hemisferios del cerebro tanto como necesitamos arte, ciencia, espiritualidad... sólo de este modo tendremos una visión integral de nuestra naturaleza y sus posibilidades.

excellent book. A must for students of Science in any field..

Probably the most extraodinary book I ever read. It is precise, dense and talks about the essence of the Homo sapiens species, its past and most probably future, I truly believe it is THE masterpiece of Prof. Edward Wilson, after so many other important works in the theory of evolution, biology and other fields of investigation.

Ce livre est de lecture agréable et au départ promet un double abord de la question 'what is the meaning of human existence?', un abord scientifique et une abord philosophique.Mais déjà aprèsquelques pages cette ouverture contraste avec les phrases suivantes: ‘the laws of physical cause and effect can somehow (sic) ultimately account for both’ (p37). Le dernier chapitre est plus aggressif : ‘Humanities have the correct perception of Homo sapiens as a very disitinctive species but spend little time wondering what that means’. ‘The history of philosophy consists mostly of failed models of the brain’Nous revenons au réductionisme. Comme philosophes courageux l'auteur mentionne Daniel Denett ent Patricia Churchland (éliminativisme). Le Poststructuralisme est considéré retrograde (p161).L'aspect philosophique de cet essay est pauvre, l'aspect scientiqie souvant facile.. L'élaboration de la signification du terme 'meaning' est insufficante.Quelles sont les fondations de la science dont Merleau-Ponty dit qu'elle renie ses origines?.L'incompréhension entre la philosophie analytique et la philosophie 'continentale' ne se peut se dissoudre par un tel abord. Comment échapper à une nouvelle idéologie où l'abord scientifique ne questionne pas sa propre raison d'être.

I enjoyed this book and it enhanced my understanding of the evolution of Homo sapiens and the ways in which our current behavior and beliefs can be explained by our early roots. I didn't actually think that it adequately lived up to its title - the meaning of existence - which was an ambitious theme. However I still got a lot out of it.