#675 David Sloan Wilson: Religion, Multilevel Selection, Group Selection, and Designing Society
RECORDED ON JUNE 8th 2022.
Dr. David Sloan Wilson is SUNY Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biology and Anthropology at Binghamton University. He applies evolutionary theory to all aspects of humanity in addition to the rest of life, both in his own research and as director of the Evolution Institute, a unique campus-wide evolutionary studies program that recently received NSF funding to expand into a nationwide consortium. His books include Darwin’s Cathedral: Evolution, Religion, and the Nature of Society; and This View of Life: Completing the Darwinian Revolution.
In this episode, we focus on religion and multilevel selection. We start by talking about religion from an evolutionary perspective, its functions, and its individual benefits. We discuss the New Atheists’ take on religion, and the idea of “atheism as stealth religion”. We also talk about group selection (cultural and genetic), how it works, its relationship with kin selection, and why so many biologists dismiss it. Throughout the conversation, we mention multilevel selection. We also discuss policy as a branch of biology, the eight core design principles for groups and institutions. Finally, we discuss if it will ever be possible to plan societies.
Time Links:
Intro
Religion from an evolutionary perspective
The functions of religion
The individual benefits of religion
Multilevel selection, and adaptations at different levels
The New Atheists’ take on religion
Atheism as stealth religion
Is religiosity innate?
Group selection (cultural and genetic), and how it works
Why so many biologists dismiss group selection
Policy as a branch of biology
Elinor Ostrom, and the eight core design principles
Designing institutions
Will it ever be possible to plan societies?
Follow Dr. Sloan Wilson’s work!
Follow Dr. Sloan Wilson’s work:
Faculty page: https://bit.ly/37KF7WC
David Sloan Wilson Archive: https://bit.ly/3aE3LJE
ResearchGate profile: https://bit.ly/3szboHk
Our first interview (Evolution, Contextual Behavioral Science, Religion, and Group Selection): https://youtu.be/I3YQVV02MwI
The Evolution Institute: http://bit.ly/2uJmiPs
Books on Amazon: https://amzn.to/3wnOELn