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I’m very much a Christian in ideals and ethics, especially in terms of belief in fairness, a deep set obligation to others, and the virtues of charity, tolerance and generosity that we associate with traditional Christian teaching.

E. O. Wilson

We should preserve every scrap of biodiversity as priceless while we learn to use it and come to understand what it means to humanity.
E. O. WILSON

Biodiversity Come Every Humanity Learn Men Preserve Priceless Scrap Understand Use
Without a trace of irony I can say I have been blessed with brilliant enemies. I owe them a great debt, because they redoubled my energies and drove me in new directions.
E. O. WILSON

Bless Brillant Enemies Irony Trace
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.
E. O. WILSON

Ant Dominant Great Habitat Impact Inspect Million Year
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?
E. O. WILSON

Accept Another Dilemma Discover Essence Evolve Genitival Humanity One Spiritual Truth
Political ideology can corrupt the mind, and science.
E. O. WILSON

Corrupt Ideology Mind Political Science
Our brain is mapping the world. Often that map is distorted, but it’s a map with constant immediate sensory input.
E. O. WILSON

Brain Constant Distrore Immediate Input Map Often Sensory World
The variety of genes on the planet in viruses exceeds, or is likely to exceed, that in all of the rest of life combined.
E. O. WILSON

Combine Exceed Genre Likely Planet Variety Virus
People need a sacred narrative. They must have a sense of larger purpose, in one form or another, however intellectualized. They will find a way to keep ancestral spirits alive.
E. O. WILSON

Alive Ancestor Another Essential Humanity Intellectual Keep Large Purpose Sacred Sense
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.
E. O. WILSON

Course Evolution Human Mind Nature Original Reconciliation Religious Selection Theory Traditional View
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.
E. O. WILSON

Care Conquest Consequence Loyalty Moses Nothing Other Planet Plenty Say Stay Tribal
In some ways, I had a traditional ‘old South’ upbringing, meaning that I spent some time in a military school, and acquired an
E. O. WILSON

Duty Ethic Inoculum Loyalty Mean Military Old School Some Some Way South Spent Time Today: Honor Traditional Upbringing
Ants have the most complicated social organization on earth next to humans.
E. O. WILSON

Ant Complicate Earth Human Most Next Organization Social
Individual versus group selection results in a mix of altruism and selfishness, of virtue and sin, among the members of a society.
E. O. WILSON

Altruism Among Group Individual Member Mix Selfishness Society Versus Virtue
Religious beliefs evolved by group-selection, tribe competing against tribe, and the illogic of religions is not a weakness but their essential strength.
E. O. WILSON

Belief Competing Essential Evolve Group Illogic Religion Selection Strength Weakness
Nature holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.
E. O. WILSON

Aesthetic Cognitive Even Hold Intellectual Key Nature Satisfaction Spiritual
Ideas emerge when a part of the real or imagined world is studied for its own sake.
E. O. WILSON

Emerge Idea Imagine Own Part Real Sake World Study

I’m very much a Christian in ideals and ethics, especially in terms of belief in fairness, a deep set obligation to others, and the virtues of charity, tolerance and generosity that we associate with traditional Christian teaching.

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I’m very much a Christian in ideals and ethics, especially in terms of belief in fairness, a deep set obligation to others, and the virtues of charity, tolerance and generosity that we associate with traditional Christian teaching.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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