Known for his research on the social behavior of ants, Wilson is often recognized as the "father of sociobiology." But his extensive work as a biologist, conservationist, theorist, and author makes him one of the leading public intellectuals of our time. As made plain in the video above, Wilson is passionate about preserving the biodiversity of life on Earth and conscious of the destructive role that humans have played.
Recently, Wilson has shaken up the evolutionary biology community by discrediting the well-believed and well-studied concept of kin selection to explain eusociality, an extreme form of altruism where some individuals in a population give up their own fertility to assist reproducing members of the population, in animals. Furthermore, Wilson has received criticism from other prominent biologists, such as Stephen Jay Gould, for his views on sociobiology.
Wilson's immense body of work, including the Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction (twice!), and his controversial ideas make him a fascinating individual to study.
I've included some interesting reading about E.O. Wilson for your reference:
The Diversity of Life. In this book, Wilson describes how life evolved, how life became diverse, and why the diversity of life faces an enormous threat today.
The Creation. Wilson appeals to science and religion to help save life on Earth.
A Brief Communication in Nature. A letter co-signed by hundreds of scientists challenged Wilson's argument against inclusive fitness theory (kin selection).
Intelligent Evolution. Essay in which Wilson draws on his experience in science and his study of the great Darwinian texts to present his view on the unanswered questions surrounding the evolution-intelligent design debate.
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