Sociobiology Study Group
Encyclopedia
The Sociobiology Study Group was academic organization formed to specifically counter sociobiological
explanations of human behavior, particularly those expounded by the Harvard
entomologist E. O. Wilson
in his 1975 book Sociobiology: The New Synthesis
. The group formed in Boston
, Massachusetts
and consisted of both professors and students.
Members of the Sociobiology Study Group included Richard C. Lewontin
(geneticist
, Harvard University), Stephen Jay Gould
(paleontologist
, Harvard University), John Beckwith (Harvard Medical School
), Stephen Chorover (psychologist, MIT), David Culver (biologist, Northwestern University
), Ruth Hubbard (biologist, Harvard University), Anthony Leeds (biologist, Boston University), Margaret Duncan (research assistant, Harvard Medical School), Hiroshi Inouye (resident fellow, Harvard Medical School), Chuck Madansky (graduate student, Harvard Medical School), Miriam Rosenthal (research associate, Harvard School of Public Health
), Reed Pyeritz (doctor, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital
), and Herb Schreier (psychiatrist, Massachusetts General Hospital
).
The Sociobiology Study Group later associated itself with the Boston chapter of Science for the People
, thereby forming a larger coalition "The Sociobiology Study Group of Science for the People." The group met monthly, and often held meetings at Harvard lecture halls and in the homes of its members. The meetings often included guest such as Noam Chomsky
and Evelyn Fox Keller
.
in Washington D.C. The proceedings included approximately twenty speakers, and included both advocates and critics alike. Speakers included such scientists as Richard Dawkins
, Stephen Jay Gould, E. O. Wilson, and David Barash
. The talks were later published into the book Sociobiology: Beyond Nature/Nurture? by Westview Press (1980).
The symposium is perhaps best remembered for an unfortunate incident involving a group of protesters from the International Committee Against Racism
. Just before Wilson gave his talk, members of INCAR chanted "Racist Wilson you can't hide, we charge you with genocide!" A couple of members then rushed the stage and poured a pitcher of ice water over Wilson's head. The symposium's moderator Alexander Alland along with Stephen Jay Gould took the microphone and apologized to Wilson and condemned the attack as an inappropriate way to attack sociobiology. Wilson, still wet, gave his speech and received a prolonged standing ovation. Wilson, however, recalled that after the attack "No one asked them to leave the premises, no police were called, and no action was taken against them later."
Sociobiology
Sociobiology is a field of scientific study which is based on the assumption that social behavior has resulted from evolution and attempts to explain and examine social behavior within that context. Often considered a branch of biology and sociology, it also draws from ethology, anthropology,...
explanations of human behavior, particularly those expounded by the Harvard
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
entomologist E. O. Wilson
E. O. Wilson
Edward Osborne Wilson is an American biologist, researcher , theorist , naturalist and author. His biological specialty is myrmecology, the study of ants....
in his 1975 book Sociobiology: The New Synthesis
Sociobiology: The New Synthesis
Sociobiology: The New Synthesis is a book written by E. O. Wilson, which started the sociobiology debate, one of the great scientific controversies in biology of the 20th century...
. The group formed in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and consisted of both professors and students.
Members of the Sociobiology Study Group included Richard C. Lewontin
Richard Lewontin
Richard Charles "Dick" Lewontin is an American evolutionary biologist, geneticist and social commentator. A leader in developing the mathematical basis of population genetics and evolutionary theory, he pioneered the notion of using techniques from molecular biology such as gel electrophoresis to...
(geneticist
Genetics
Genetics , a discipline of biology, is the science of genes, heredity, and variation in living organisms....
, Harvard University), Stephen Jay Gould
Stephen Jay Gould
Stephen Jay Gould was an American paleontologist, evolutionary biologist, and historian of science. He was also one of the most influential and widely read writers of popular science of his generation....
(paleontologist
Paleontology
Paleontology "old, ancient", ὄν, ὀντ- "being, creature", and λόγος "speech, thought") is the study of prehistoric life. It includes the study of fossils to determine organisms' evolution and interactions with each other and their environments...
, Harvard University), John Beckwith (Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School
Harvard Medical School is the graduate medical school of Harvard University. It is located in the Longwood Medical Area of the Mission Hill neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts....
), Stephen Chorover (psychologist, MIT), David Culver (biologist, Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
), Ruth Hubbard (biologist, Harvard University), Anthony Leeds (biologist, Boston University), Margaret Duncan (research assistant, Harvard Medical School), Hiroshi Inouye (resident fellow, Harvard Medical School), Chuck Madansky (graduate student, Harvard Medical School), Miriam Rosenthal (research associate, Harvard School of Public Health
Harvard School of Public Health
The Harvard School of Public Health is one of the professional graduate schools of Harvard University, located in the Longwood Area of the Boston, Massachusetts neighborhood of Mission Hill, which is next to Harvard Medical School. HSPH is considered a significant school focusing on health in the...
), Reed Pyeritz (doctor, Peter Bent Brigham Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital
Brigham and Women's Hospital is the largest hospital of the Longwood Medical and Academic Area in Boston, Massachusetts. It is directly adjacent to Harvard Medical School of which it is the second largest teaching affiliate with 793 beds...
), and Herb Schreier (psychiatrist, Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital is a teaching hospital and biomedical research facility in the West End neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts...
).
The Sociobiology Study Group later associated itself with the Boston chapter of Science for the People
Science for the People
Science for the People is a left-wing organization that emerged from the antiwar culture of the United States in the 1970s. A similar organization of the same name was founded in 2002....
, thereby forming a larger coalition "The Sociobiology Study Group of Science for the People." The group met monthly, and often held meetings at Harvard lecture halls and in the homes of its members. The meetings often included guest such as Noam Chomsky
Noam Chomsky
Avram Noam Chomsky is an American linguist, philosopher, cognitive scientist, and activist. He is an Institute Professor and Professor in the Department of Linguistics & Philosophy at MIT, where he has worked for over 50 years. Chomsky has been described as the "father of modern linguistics" and...
and Evelyn Fox Keller
Evelyn Fox Keller
Evelyn Fox Keller is an American physicist, author and feminist. She is currently a Professor of History and Philosophy of Science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Keller has also taught at the State University of New York at Purchase, New York University and in the department of...
.
AAAS Symposium
In February 1978 George Barlow and James Silverberg of the Sociobiology Study Group organized a two day symposium at the American Association for the Advancement of ScienceAmerican Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
in Washington D.C. The proceedings included approximately twenty speakers, and included both advocates and critics alike. Speakers included such scientists as Richard Dawkins
Richard Dawkins
Clinton Richard Dawkins, FRS, FRSL , known as Richard Dawkins, is a British ethologist, evolutionary biologist and author...
, Stephen Jay Gould, E. O. Wilson, and David Barash
David P. Barash
David P. Barash is a Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington, and is notable for books on Human aggression, Peace Studies, and the sexual behavior of animals and people. He has written approximately 30 books in total. He received his bachelor's degree in biology from Harpur...
. The talks were later published into the book Sociobiology: Beyond Nature/Nurture? by Westview Press (1980).
The symposium is perhaps best remembered for an unfortunate incident involving a group of protesters from the International Committee Against Racism
International Committee Against Racism
The International Committee Against Racism was the "mass organization" of the Progressive Labor Party in the United States...
. Just before Wilson gave his talk, members of INCAR chanted "Racist Wilson you can't hide, we charge you with genocide!" A couple of members then rushed the stage and poured a pitcher of ice water over Wilson's head. The symposium's moderator Alexander Alland along with Stephen Jay Gould took the microphone and apologized to Wilson and condemned the attack as an inappropriate way to attack sociobiology. Wilson, still wet, gave his speech and received a prolonged standing ovation. Wilson, however, recalled that after the attack "No one asked them to leave the premises, no police were called, and no action was taken against them later."