Wilson graduated with a B.A. with high honors in 1971 from the University of Rochester. He completed his Ph.D. in 1975 at Michigan State University. Wilson then worked as a Research Fellow in the Biological Laboratories at Harvard University from 1974-1975. He held a dual position as Research Associate in Zoology at the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Washington from 1975 to 1976. After this he was a Senior Research Officer at the South African National Research Institute for the Mathematical Sciences from 1976 to 1977.
Wilson moved back to the United States and held an Assistant Professorship in the Division of Environmental Studies at the University of California, Davis, from 1977 to 1980. He served as an Assistant and then Associate Professor at the Kellogg Biological Station and Department of Zoology of Michigan State University from 1980 to 1988. Wilson was promoted to full Professor of Biological Sciences at the State University of New York, Binghamton, in 1988. He was given a joint appointment as Professor of Anthropology in 2001 and retired in 2019.
Wilson started the Evolutionary Studies (EvoS) program at Binghamton University to unify diverse disciplines under the theory of evolution. Students in the program take evolution-themed courses in a variety of disciplines including biology, anthropology, psychology, bioengineering, philosophy, religion and the psychology of religion. There is also a required "Current Topics in Evolutionary Studies" weekly seminar and discussion. Several other universities, including SUNY New Paltz have started a similar program.
Research
Wilson is a prominent proponent of the concept of group selection (also known as multi-level selection) in evolution. He and Elliott Sober proposed a framework called multilevel selection theory, which challenges the more orthodox approach of gene-level selection and individual selection, in their book Unto Others. This framework argues that natural selection operates on a nested hierarchy of units, such as between genes within individuals, between individuals within groups, between groups within a multi-group population, and even between ecosystems (such as microbiomes) in multi-ecosystem populations. Each level of selection results in adaptations at that level and tends to be undermined by selection at lower levels. Hence the notion of multilevel selection.
Wilson has also coined the concept of a trait-group, a group of organisms linked not permanently as a group but having a shared fate due to interactions that they have.
Wilson, D. S. (1980). The Natural Selection of Populations and Communities. Menlo Park, CA: Benjamin/Cummings.
Sober, E., & Wilson, D. S. (1998). Unto Others: The Evolution and Psychology of Unselfish Behavior. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
Wilson, D. S. (2002). Darwin's Cathedral: Evolution, Religion and the Nature of Society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Gottschall, J. & Wilson, D.S., Eds. (2005). The Literary Animal: Evolution and the Nature of Narrative. Northwestern University Press
Wilson, D.S. (2007) Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin’s Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives. Delacorte Press.
Wilson, D.S. (2011) The Neighborhood Project: Using Evolution to Improve My City, One Block At A Time. Little, Brown.
Oakley, B., Knafo, A., Madhavan, G., and Wilson, D.S., Eds. (2011). Pathological Altruism. Oxford University Press.
Wilson, D.S. (2015) Does Altruism Exist? Culture, Genes, and the Welfare of Others. Yale University and Templeton Press.
Wilson, D. S., & Kirman, A. (2016). Complexity and Evolution: Toward a New Synthesis for Economics. (David Sloan Wilson & A. Kirman, Eds.). Cambridge Mass.: MIT Press
Wilson, D. S., & Hayes, S. C. (2018). Evolution and Contextual Behavioral Science: An Integrated Framework for Understanding, Predicting, and Influencing Behavior. Menlo Park, CA: New Harbinger Press.
Wilson, D.S. (2019) This View of Life: Completing the Darwinian Revolution. Pantheon Press.
Atkins, P. W. D., Wilson, D. S., & Hayes, S. C. (2019). Prosocial: Using evolutionary science to build productive, equitable, and collaborative groups. New Harbinger
Wilson, D. S., Geher, G., Gallup, A., & Head, H. (Eds.). (2019). Darwin’s Roadmap to the Curriculum: Evolutionary Studies in Higher Education. Oxford University Press, USA: Oxford University Press USA.
Wilson, D.S. (2020) Atlas Hugged: The Autobiography of John Galt III (novel). Redwood Press.
Wilson, D.S. (2022) A Life Informed by Evolution (memoir).
Wilson's book Darwin's Cathedral proposes that religions are primarily group-level adaptations that evolve by cultural group selection. His book Evolution for Everyone: How Darwin's Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives attempts to give an introduction to evolution for a broad audience, detailing the various ways in which evolution can be applied to everyday affairs. There is also a class at Binghamton University that is called "Evolution for Everyone" that has been taught since 2003.
Wilson's book for a general audience, The Neighborhood Project: Using Evolution to Improve My City, One Block at a Time (2011), describes how he started to apply evolutionary thinking to real-world settings in Binghamton and elsewhere through the Evolution Institute.
Wilson and his co-author E. O. Wilson have become well known for the quote, "Selfishness beats altruism within groups. Altruistic groups beat selfish groups. Everything else is commentary".[3] This quotation appeared in their paper, "Rethinking the Theoretical Foundation of Sociobiology".
Wilson is Editor in Chief of Prosocial World’s online magazine This View of Life, which features articles on all topic areas from an evolutionary perspective.
Wilson's latest nonfiction book for a general audience is This View of Life: Completing the Darwinian Revolution, published in 2019. The evolutionary biologist builds on decades of research to outline a paradigm-changing new approach to the applications of evolutionary theory in today's social and cultural institutions.
david, sloan, wilson, this, article, external, links, follow, wikipedia, policies, guidelines, please, improve, this, article, removing, excessive, inappropriate, external, links, converting, useful, links, where, appropriate, into, footnote, references, augus. This article s use of external links may not follow Wikipedia s policies or guidelines Please improve this article by removing excessive or inappropriate external links and converting useful links where appropriate into footnote references August 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message David Sloan Wilson born 1949 is an American evolutionary biologist and a Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Biological Sciences and Anthropology at Binghamton University He is a son of author Sloan Wilson and co founder of the Evolution Institute and co founder of the spinoff nonprofit Prosocial World David Sloan WilsonBorn1949Alma materUniversity of Rochester B A Michigan State University Ph D Known forDarwin s CathedralEvolution for EveryoneScientific careerFieldsEvolutionary biology anthropologyInstitutionsHarvard UniversityUniversity of WashingtonUniversity of the WitwatersrandUniversity of California DavisMichigan State UniversityBinghamton UniversityEvolution InstituteDoctoral studentsJonathan Gottschall 1 InfluencedJonathan Haidt citation needed Contents 1 Academic career 2 Research 3 Publications 4 References 5 External linksAcademic career EditThis section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed Find sources David Sloan Wilson news newspapers books scholar JSTOR August 2022 Learn how and when to remove this template message Wilson graduated with a B A with high honors in 1971 from the University of Rochester He completed his Ph D in 1975 at Michigan State University Wilson then worked as a Research Fellow in the Biological Laboratories at Harvard University from 1974 1975 He held a dual position as Research Associate in Zoology at the University of the Witwatersrand and the University of Washington from 1975 to 1976 After this he was a Senior Research Officer at the South African National Research Institute for the Mathematical Sciences from 1976 to 1977 Wilson moved back to the United States and held an Assistant Professorship in the Division of Environmental Studies at the University of California Davis from 1977 to 1980 He served as an Assistant and then Associate Professor at the Kellogg Biological Station and Department of Zoology of Michigan State University from 1980 to 1988 Wilson was promoted to full Professor of Biological Sciences at the State University of New York Binghamton in 1988 He was given a joint appointment as Professor of Anthropology in 2001 and retired in 2019 Wilson started the Evolutionary Studies EvoS program at Binghamton University to unify diverse disciplines under the theory of evolution Students in the program take evolution themed courses in a variety of disciplines including biology anthropology psychology bioengineering philosophy religion and the psychology of religion There is also a required Current Topics in Evolutionary Studies weekly seminar and discussion Several other universities including SUNY New Paltz have started a similar program Research EditWilson is a prominent proponent of the concept of group selection also known as multi level selection in evolution He and Elliott Sober proposed a framework called multilevel selection theory which challenges the more orthodox approach of gene level selection and individual selection in their book Unto Others This framework argues that natural selection operates on a nested hierarchy of units such as between genes within individuals between individuals within groups between groups within a multi group population and even between ecosystems such as microbiomes in multi ecosystem populations Each level of selection results in adaptations at that level and tends to be undermined by selection at lower levels Hence the notion of multilevel selection Wilson has also coined the concept of a trait group a group of organisms linked not permanently as a group but having a shared fate due to interactions that they have Wilson has described himself as an enthusiastic proponent of the extended evolutionary synthesis 2 Publications EditWilson D S 1980 The Natural Selection of Populations and Communities Menlo Park CA Benjamin Cummings Sober E amp Wilson D S 1998 Unto Others The Evolution and Psychology of Unselfish Behavior Cambridge MA Harvard University Press Wilson D S 2002 Darwin s Cathedral Evolution Religion and the Nature of Society Chicago University of Chicago Press Gottschall J amp Wilson D S Eds 2005 The Literary Animal Evolution and the Nature of Narrative Northwestern University Press Wilson D S 2007 Evolution for Everyone How Darwin s Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives Delacorte Press Wilson D S 2011 The Neighborhood Project Using Evolution to Improve My City One Block At A Time Little Brown Oakley B Knafo A Madhavan G and Wilson D S Eds 2011 Pathological Altruism Oxford University Press Wilson D S 2015 Does Altruism Exist Culture Genes and the Welfare of Others Yale University and Templeton Press Wilson D S amp Kirman A 2016 Complexity and Evolution Toward a New Synthesis for Economics David Sloan Wilson amp A Kirman Eds Cambridge Mass MIT Press Wilson D S amp Hayes S C 2018 Evolution and Contextual Behavioral Science An Integrated Framework for Understanding Predicting and Influencing Behavior Menlo Park CA New Harbinger Press Wilson D S 2019 This View of Life Completing the Darwinian Revolution Pantheon Press Atkins P W D Wilson D S amp Hayes S C 2019 Prosocial Using evolutionary science to build productive equitable and collaborative groups New Harbinger Wilson D S Geher G Gallup A amp Head H Eds 2019 Darwin s Roadmap to the Curriculum Evolutionary Studies in Higher Education Oxford University Press USA Oxford University Press USA Wilson D S 2020 Atlas Hugged The Autobiography of John Galt III novel Redwood Press Wilson D S 2022 A Life Informed by Evolution memoir Wilson s book Darwin s Cathedral proposes that religions are primarily group level adaptations that evolve by cultural group selection His book Evolution for Everyone How Darwin s Theory Can Change the Way We Think About Our Lives attempts to give an introduction to evolution for a broad audience detailing the various ways in which evolution can be applied to everyday affairs There is also a class at Binghamton University that is called Evolution for Everyone that has been taught since 2003 Wilson s book for a general audience The Neighborhood Project Using Evolution to Improve My City One Block at a Time 2011 describes how he started to apply evolutionary thinking to real world settings in Binghamton and elsewhere through the Evolution Institute Wilson and his co author E O Wilson have become well known for the quote Selfishness beats altruism within groups Altruistic groups beat selfish groups Everything else is commentary 3 This quotation appeared in their paper Rethinking the Theoretical Foundation of Sociobiology Wilson is Editor in Chief of Prosocial World s online magazine This View of Life which features articles on all topic areas from an evolutionary perspective Wilson s latest nonfiction book for a general audience is This View of Life Completing the Darwinian Revolution published in 2019 The evolutionary biologist builds on decades of research to outline a paradigm changing new approach to the applications of evolutionary theory in today s social and cultural institutions Wilson s latest book Atlas Hugged is a fiction an answer to Ayn Rand s novel Atlas Shrugged 4 Wilson s full list of academic publications may be found on his David Sloan Wilson Archive all academic publications References Edit Red in Tooth and Claw Among the Literati PDF Science May 6 2011 Archived from the original PDF on April 25 2012 Retrieved 2012 01 31 David Sloan Wilson Interview Retrieved July 1 2018 van der Zee Bibi 6 March 2012 Biologist wants to make the world a better place Guardian Retrieved 5 August 2021 Ayn Rand Meets Her Match David Sloan Wilson Fights Fiction with Fiction November 2020 External links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to David Sloan Wilson Wilson s personal homepage Darwin s God article in New York Times Magazine for March 4 2007 Includes interview with Wilson Evolution Survival of the selfless article written with E O Wilson in New Scientist 03 November 2007 EVOS Evolutionary Studies Program at Binghamton University Video Ethics and the University on YouTube Rethinking the Theoretical Foundation of Sociobiology David Sloan Wilson Archive Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title David Sloan Wilson amp oldid 1102099386, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
