If history and science have taught us anything, it is that passion and desire are not the same as truth.
E. O. WILSONTheology made no provision for evolution. The biblical authors had missed the most important revelation of all! Could it be that they were not really privy to the thoughts of God?
More E. O. Wilson Quotes
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The two major challenges for the 21st century are to improve the economic situation of the majority and save as much of the planet as we can.
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We ought to recognize that religious strife is not the consequence of differences among people. It’s about conflicts between creation stories.
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The one process now going on that will take millions of years to correct is the loss of genetic and species diversity by the destruction of natural habitats.
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The essence of humanity’s spiritual dilemma is that we evolved genetically to accept one truth and discovered another. Is there a way to erase the dilemma, to resolve the contradictions between the transcendentalist and the empiricist world views?
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We should preserve every scrap of biodiversity as priceless while we learn to use it and come to understand what it means to humanity.
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If those committed to the quest fail, they will be forgiven. When lost, they will find another way.
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By any reasonable measure of achievement, the faith of the Enlightenment thinkers in science was justified.
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Of course, there is no reconciliation between the theory of evolution by natural selection and the traditional religious view of the origin of the human mind.
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It’s always been a great survival value for people to believe they belong to a superior tribe. That’s just in human relationships.
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The world henceforth will be run by synthesizers, people able to put together the right information at the right time, think critically about it, and make important choices wisely.
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Every major religion today is a winner in the Darwinian struggle waged among cultures, and none ever flourished by tolerating its rivals.
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Jehovah had nothing to say to Moses and the others about the care of the planet. He had plenty to say about tribal loyalty and conquest.
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Because the living environment is what really sustains us.
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Ants are the dominant insects of the world, and they’ve had a great impact on habitats almost all over the land surface of the world for more than 50-million years.
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The education of women is the best way to save the environment.
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Science and religion are the two most powerful forces in the world. Having them at odds… is not productive.
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True character arises from a deeper well than religion.
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People respect nonfiction but they read novels.
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Destroying rainforest for economic gain is like burning a Renaissance painting to cook a meal.
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It’s obvious that the key problem facing humanity in the coming century is how to bring a better quality of life – for 8 billion or more people – without wrecking the environment entirely in the attempt.
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Religious belief itself is an adaptation that has evolved because we’re hard-wired to form tribalistic religions.
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Willing to try to get a better atmosphere through a demonstration of democratic principles, fairness and cooperation, a better product, those will win in the end.
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Theology made no provision for evolution. The biblical authors had missed the most important revelation of all! Could it be that they were not really privy to the thoughts of God?
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What’s been gratifying is to live long enough to see molecular biology and evolutionary biology growing toward each other and uniting in research efforts.
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Competing is intense among humans, and within a group, selfish individuals always win. But in contests between groups, groups of altruists always beat groups of selfish individuals.
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There is no better high than discovery.
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