Biologist, naturalist, and author, Edward O. Wilson, uses his book, The Meaning of Human Existence, to analyze the sciences and humanities of our world in an effort to define the true meaning of human existence. Although the writing can come off as difficult or complicated in Wilson’s book, his organization, detail, and tone on many of the topics he writes about are strong and make for a worthwhile read. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the sciences and humanities, or someone looking for a challenging read into the deeper meanings of human life. In spite of all this, I would not recommend this book to anyone who affiliated themselves strongly with religion. While I don’t consider myself religious or atheist,
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This was a subject that I found interesting. I was intrigued that a man with such unshakable views in regards to religions and Gods could have so much to say about the possibilities in aliens. Chapter 9, “Why Microbes Rule the Galaxy”, is where Wilson’s subject of alien life begins. Here is where he talks about how alien life exists out in space according to astrobiologist experts. He goes on to explain that alien life won’t be civilizations such as earth where people walk the land with the technology and machinery we have here. He tells us that the alien life out in space will be made up of microbes: bacteria, viruses, microscopic fungi and algae, picozoans, and archaeans(104). He continues to explain that this is what alien life is and that this will be what scientists eventually find. What I found almost amusing was that in the following chapter, Chapter 10 “A Portrait of E.T.”(110), Wilson pursues to illustrate what a potential alien, that was as intelligent as we are, would look like and calls them E.T.’s. I almost find it disorienting as to why Wilson would go into such vast detail of something he just explained wasn’t plausible in the previous …show more content…
He believes in what he says and has no problem stating his agreements or disagreements on controversial topics. The most controversial subject Wilson talks about in his book, which is also one of the main arguments, is that evolution is how humans came to be and there is, nor was, a God. Wilson states in the very beginning of his book that “Humanity arose entirely on its own through an accumulated series of events during evolution. We are not predestined to reach any goal, nor are we answerable to any power but our own”(15). This quote is on page 15 just the very beginning or Wilson 's journey. At this early stage you can already clearly see what Wilson 's point of view on religion is and how his tone towards it is slightly negative, if not completely insulting to those associated with religious beliefs. From beginning to end there are clear points where Wilson shows very distinctive tone and harsh point of views. Another quote from Wilson that comes across as having a blunt tone is found on page 80, “Yet we are chemosensory idiots.” The term idiot, in today 's society at least, is a very frowned upon word that has been moved into the derogatory section of language. It may be the fact that Wilson was 85 when he wrote this book or simply he is a very opinionated man that has always stated it how he sees it fit, but whatever the case,
This was a subject that I found interesting. I was intrigued that a man with such unshakable views in regards to religions and Gods could have so much to say about the possibilities in aliens. Chapter 9, “Why Microbes Rule the Galaxy”, is where Wilson’s subject of alien life begins. Here is where he talks about how alien life exists out in space according to astrobiologist experts. He goes on to explain that alien life won’t be civilizations such as earth where people walk the land with the technology and machinery we have here. He tells us that the alien life out in space will be made up of microbes: bacteria, viruses, microscopic fungi and algae, picozoans, and archaeans(104). He continues to explain that this is what alien life is and that this will be what scientists eventually find. What I found almost amusing was that in the following chapter, Chapter 10 “A Portrait of E.T.”(110), Wilson pursues to illustrate what a potential alien, that was as intelligent as we are, would look like and calls them E.T.’s. I almost find it disorienting as to why Wilson would go into such vast detail of something he just explained wasn’t plausible in the previous …show more content…
He believes in what he says and has no problem stating his agreements or disagreements on controversial topics. The most controversial subject Wilson talks about in his book, which is also one of the main arguments, is that evolution is how humans came to be and there is, nor was, a God. Wilson states in the very beginning of his book that “Humanity arose entirely on its own through an accumulated series of events during evolution. We are not predestined to reach any goal, nor are we answerable to any power but our own”(15). This quote is on page 15 just the very beginning or Wilson 's journey. At this early stage you can already clearly see what Wilson 's point of view on religion is and how his tone towards it is slightly negative, if not completely insulting to those associated with religious beliefs. From beginning to end there are clear points where Wilson shows very distinctive tone and harsh point of views. Another quote from Wilson that comes across as having a blunt tone is found on page 80, “Yet we are chemosensory idiots.” The term idiot, in today 's society at least, is a very frowned upon word that has been moved into the derogatory section of language. It may be the fact that Wilson was 85 when he wrote this book or simply he is a very opinionated man that has always stated it how he sees it fit, but whatever the case,