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Edward O. Wilson

エドワード・オー・ウィルソン

Edward O. Wilson

Aliases: E. O. Wilson / E.O. Wilson / Edward Osborne Wilson

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1929-06-10 （Birmingham, Alabama, U.S.）
Died
2021-12-26 （Burlington, Massachusetts, U.S.） age 92
Nationality
United States
Languages
English
Religion
provisional deism / agnostic
Residence History
Birmingham, Alabama, U.S. (birth / childhood) → Lexington, Massachusetts, U.S. (later residence)

Career

Occupations
biologist, naturalist, ecologist, entomologist, author, professor
Active Years
1949-2021
Affiliations
Harvard University (faculty, Professor Emeritus), Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard (curator of entomology), Duke University (special lecturer, affiliated with E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation), E.O. Wilson Biodiversity Foundation (founder), Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (fellow)
Memberships
American Academy of Arts and Sciences (member), National Academy of Sciences (member), American Philosophical Society (member), Foreign Member of the Royal Society
Influenced By
Charles Darwin, Robert H. MacArthur (collaborator)
Influenced
Daniel Simberloff (scientist), Bert Hölldobler (co-author / influenced collaborator), Numerous researchers and activists in conservation biology and biodiversity protection

Education

University of Alabama
Biology
Degree: BS, MS
Period: 1945–1951
Year of Graduation: 1950
Country: United States
Earned BS (1949) and MS (1950) in biology
Harvard University
Biology / entomology and ecology-related
Degree: PhD
Period: 1951–1955
Year of Graduation: 1955
Country: United States
PhD; thesis: 'A Monographic Revision of the Ant Genus Lasius' (1955)

Awards

Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction
1979
Work: On Human Nature
Category: 一般ノンフィクション
Organization: Columbia University (Pulitzer Prize committee)
Result: 受賞
Pulitzer Prize for General Nonfiction
1991
Work: The Ants (with Bert Hölldobler)
Category: 一般ノンフィクション
Organization: Columbia University (Pulitzer Prize committee)
Result: 受賞（共著）
National Medal of Science
1977
Organization: U.S. Government
Result: 受賞
Crafoord Prize
1990
Organization: Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences
Result: 受賞
International Prize for Biology
1993
Organization: International Prize for Biology (organizers)
Result: 受賞
BBVA Foundation Frontiers of Knowledge Award (Ecology and Conservation Biology)
2010
Category: Ecology and Conservation Biology
Organization: BBVA Foundation
Result: 受賞
Kew International Medal
2014
Organization: Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew
Result: 受賞
TED Prize
2007
Work: Initiative to launch the Encyclopedia of Life
Organization: TED
Result: 受賞

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

On Human Nature

1978 scientific non-fiction / sociobiology

Discusses human culture and behavior from a biological perspective, exploring the role of evolution in human nature. Winner of the 1979 Pulitzer Prize.

sociobiologyevolutionhuman nature

The Ants

1990 scientific non-fiction / myrmecology

Co-authored with Bert Hölldobler. An encyclopedic study of ant taxonomy, behavior, and ecology. Winner of the 1991 Pulitzer Prize.

ant socialitybehavioral ecologycooperation and adaptation

Sociobiology: The New Synthesis

1975 scientific non-fiction / theoretical ecology

Systematized sociobiology, attempting to explain social behavior of animals (and humans) from evolutionary perspectives. Provoked major controversy.

social behaviorgenes and behaviorevolutionary theory

Half-Earth

2016 scientific non-fiction / conservation

Proposes setting aside half the Earth for nature to address biodiversity loss and argues for urgent conservation measures.

biodiversity conservationecosystem protectionpolicy advocacy

Bibliography

  • The Insect Societies, 1971
  • On Human Nature, 1978
  • The Ants, 1990 (with Bert Hölldobler)
  • Biophilia, 1984
  • Consilience, 1998
  • The Diversity of Life, 1992
  • Half-Earth, 2016

Adaptations

  • Documentary 'Lord of the Ants'

Style & Themes

Literary Style
clear exposition that translates specialized science for general audienceslyrical natural description
Recurring Motifs
ants and socialitybiodiversity crisisecosystem interdependence

Health

  • Partial blindness in the right eye (childhood fishing accident and subsequent cataract surgery)
    幼少期
    Lost stereoscopic vision but retained excellent near vision, which contributed to his focus on insects.

Legacy

Built on ant research to have major impact on sociobiology, island biogeography, and conservation biology. A prolific popularizer of science, often called 'father of biodiversity', but his legacy is complex due to controversies around sociobiology and race/genetics.

Museums

  • E.O. Wilson Biophilia Center (Nokuse Plantation) Nokuse Plantation, Walton County, Florida, U.S. Opened in 2009

Academic Societies

  • American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • National Academy of Sciences
  • American Philosophical Society
  • Royal Society (Foreign Member)

Archives

  • Library of Congress (personal correspondence donated)

In Popular Culture

  • Known widely through best-selling books for general audiences, documentaries, and TED talks.

Quotes

  • The evolutionary epic is probably the best myth we will ever have.
    Source: On Human Nature (1978)
  • Destroying a rainforest for economic gain is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal.
    Source: Lectures / interviews (1998)

Trivia

  • Partially blinded in the right eye in a childhood fishing accident.
  • Described more than 400 species of ants.
  • Two-time Pulitzer Prize winner (1979, 1991).