The Role Of Free Will In E. O. Wilson's Altruism

In the academic community, the discussion of free will is surrounded by controversy. At the conception of free will, St. Augustine discovers human freedom of choice in his search for the root of evil. As the modern world attempts to understand the confines (or lack there of) around free will, E.O. Wilson and Gerald Edelman reach their own conclusions. These works verify that our history, rather it be genetic, memorial, or spiritual, constrains the spectrum of our free will. In St. Augustine’s Confessions the origin of freewill is found as Augustine describes the ways in which humans are evil because of our ability to make the decision to sin. Augustine affirms that, although God is omniscient, humans can still make conscious decisions along

Essentially, Wilson argues that we inherit the capacity for an array of behaviors, but our socialization shapes our actual decisions. As Wilson describes, "Which behavior a particular human being displays depends on the experience received within his or her own culture, but the total array of human possibilities, as opposed to baboon or termite possibilities, is inherited” (90). Although our genetics provide the backbone of our behaviors, our own free will ultimately decide how we behave. In his discussion on altruism and aggression, Wilson explains that we are genetically provided with the means to be both altruistic and aggressive, but we make the decision between the

He mentions that, “The demonstration of any genetic bias cannot be used to justify a continuing practice in present and future societies”(Wilson 93). but merely expresses the need for the academic community to acknowledge that our genetic history does alter our spectrum of behaviors. He says that, “In the difficult journey ahead, during which our ultimate guide must be our deepest and, at present, least understood feelings, surely we cannot afford an ignorance of history”(Wilson 94). At the same time, he recognizes that human nature has the capacity for continued progress when he mentions that, “Genetic biases can be trespassed, passions averted or redirected, and ethics altered;and the human genius for making contracts an continue to be applied to achieve healthier and freer societies” (Wilson 94). Wilson’s ideas surrounding free will supports the concept that humans have constrained free will that is shaped by our