Sociobiology

Edmund O. Wilson, professor of Zoology, last night discussed some implications of his controversial theory of sociobiology before a gathering of 60 alumni of the Graduate School of Education.

While Wilson did not attempt to draw a direct analogy between the behavior of lower animals and the more complex social structures of man, he urged modern sociologists to base their theories on an understanding of the biological principles which underlie all relationships.

Sociological theories should be the product of the same painstaking research and examination needed to form a scientific hypothesis, Wilson said.

The audience's reaction to the speech ran the gamut from "terribly exciting" to "dry as hell," but most of the alumni said they were intrigued by Wilson's theoretical approach.

"It was not a practical lecture, but it was a brilliant elucidation of a topic that's worth a lot of thought," said Philip E. McCurdy '56, headmaster of Beaver Country Day School in Chestnut Hill.