The New Synthesis.

Abstract

New scientific theories, especially when they touch on the mysteries of human behavior, seldom go unchallenged. Such has been the case since Harvard biologist Edward O. Wilson's Sociobiology: The New Synthesis was published in late 1975. Wilson sought a biological explanation for animal (and human) social behavior through a fresh application of Darwin's theories of evolution and natural selection. His book was news in both specialized journals and major newspapers. This synthesis brought heated reactions from other academics in part, over what some critics perceived as its ethical, racial, and cultural implications. Last November, the American Anthropological Association devoted several sessions at its annual meeting to sociobiology, and the discussion shows no signs of abating. Here, zoologist David P. Barash discusses sociobiology's significance; sociologist Pierre L. van den Berghe explores its ethical aspects; and anthropologist Anthony Leeds offers a sharp but detailed critique of both Wilson and his more extreme detractors.

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