The Social Conquest of Earth
{{Short description|2012 book by Edward O. Wilson}}
{{Infobox book
| image = File:The Social Conquest of Earth.jpg
| caption = Cover of the first edition
| author = E. O. Wilson
| name = The Social Conquest of Earth
| country = United States
| language = English
| subject =
| publisher = Liveright
| release_date = 2012
| pages = 352
| media_type = Print (Hardcover and Paperback)
| isbn = 978-0871403636
| followed_by = The Meaning of Human Existence (2014)
| dewey =
| congress =
| oclc =
}}
The Social Conquest of Earth is a 2012 book by biologist Edward O. Wilson.
Wilson adapted the title of Paul Gauguin's famous mural as a theme -- "What are we?", "Where did we come from?", "Where are we going?"—for discussing his topic of eusocial behavior in several arthropod taxa and a few mammalian species, and its role in making humans as a species unique.{{cite news|last1=Bloom|first1=Paul|title=The Original Colonists|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/books/review/the-social-conquest-of-earth-by-edward-o-wilson.html|accessdate=24 October 2015|work=New York Times|date=11 May 2012}}
Wilson argues, building on the paper "The evolution of eusociality" (2010) by Wilson, Martin Nowak and Corina Tarnita in Nature, for more importance of group selection and against the idea of kin selection.{{Cite journal|last1=Nowak|first1=Martin A.|last2=Tarnita|first2=Corina E.|last3=Wilson|first3=Edward O.|date=August 2010|title=The evolution of eusociality|journal=Nature|volume=466|issue=7310|pages=1057–1062|doi=10.1038/nature09205|pmid=20740005|issn=1476-4687|pmc=3279739|bibcode=2010Natur.466.1057N}}
Reception
The Nature article was controversial, with many experts arguing against its conclusions, including an "outraged response" later in the same journal by 137 authors.{{Cite journal|last1=Abbot|first1=Patrick|last2=Abe|first2=Jun|last3=Alcock|first3=John|last4=Alizon|first4=Samuel|last5=Alpedrinha|first5=Joao A. C.|last6=Andersson|first6=Malte|last7=Andre|first7=Jean-Baptiste|last8=Baalen|first8=Minus van|authorlink9=Francois Balloux|last9=Balloux|first9=Francois|date=23 March 2011|title=Inclusive fitness theory and eusociality|journal=Nature|volume=471|issue=7339|pages=E1–E4|doi=10.1038/nature09831|pmid=21430721|pmc=3836173|bibcode=2011Natur.471E...1A|issn=1476-4687}} Richard Dawkins wrote a harshly critical review for Prospect, in which he stated that Wilson had earlier supported Bill Hamilton's theory of kin selection but had, over the years, moved away from it, to the point where it was debatable that he had really understood the theory.{{cite news|last1=Dawkins|first1=Richard|title=The Descent of Edward Wilson|url=http://www.prospectmagazine.co.uk/magazine/edward-wilson-social-conquest-earth-evolutionary-errors-origin-species|accessdate=24 October 2015|work=Prospect|date=24 May 2012}}
The book was given a positive review by Yale psychologist and author Paul Bloom in The New York Times.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/05/13/books/review/the-social-conquest-of-earth-by-edward-o-wilson.html|title='The Social Conquest of Earth,' by Edward O. Wilson|last=Bloom|first=Paul|date=2012-05-11|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-11-25}}
The book was listed as on The New York Times Book Review 100 Notable Books of the Year in 2012.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/02/books/review/100-notable-books-of-2012.html|title=100 Notable Books of 2012|date=2012-11-27|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-11-25}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Social Conquest of Earth}}
Category:2012 non-fiction books
Category:American non-fiction books
Category:Books about sociobiology
Category:English-language non-fiction books
Category:Works by E. O. Wilson
Category:Boni & Liveright books
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