Sociobiology vs Socioecology

As a theory, sociobiology is opposed to socio-ecology, a discipline hampered since its birth. The indictment of the ideological intentions of the first has obscured the notion that the growing domination of the image of the selfish gene has obstructed the necessary rise of the second. For 40 years, a terrible force of inertia has thus frozen the global analysis of socio-ecological interactions outside the theoretical bias externally imposed on social sciences by so-called behavioral ecology , which amounts to a simple emanation of sociobiology. This book summarizes the methodological abuses and the illusory legitimations of a school whose sterility can no longer be concealed, but which is preparing to reinvent itself by cynically replacing its faltering laws by hijacking the recent advances in epigenetics. The authors shed light on unjustly sacrificed paths in the study of socio-ecological interactions.

As a theory, sociobiology is opposed to socio-ecology, a discipline hampered since its birth. The indictment of the ideological intentions of the first has obscured the notion that the growing domination of the image of the "selfish gene" has obstructed the necessary rise of the second.For 40 years, a terrible force of inertia has thus frozen the global analysis of socio-ecological interactions outside the theoretical bias externally imposed on social sciences by so-called "behavioral ecology", which amounts to a simple emanation of sociobiology. This book summarizes the methodological abuses and the illusory legitimations of a school whose sterility can no longer be concealed, but which is preparing to reinvent itself by cynically replacing its faltering laws by hijacking the recent advances in epigenetics. The authors shed light on unjustly sacrificed paths in the study of socio-ecological interactions.

Introduction ixChapter 1 From Altruism to Sociobiology: Historical and Epistemological Summary 11.1 Introduction 11.2 The "social Darwinism" of the 19th Century 21.3 Reconquest of the quest: 20th Century social neo-Darwinism 91.4 Expansion, disintegration signs and recent defections 181.5 Missing or extra squares on the chessboard 231.5.1 Wilson's initial epistemological traffic: sociobiology and behavioral ecology 241.5.2 Communicating evasiveness: behavior, altruism, society, culture 261.5.3 Cut-short dispute and perverted controversy 341.6 Temporary theory and permanent fantasy: will sociobiology soon be superseded? 38Chapter 2 The Illusory Endorsement of Insects: Omissions and Arbitrary Choices 412.1 Entomologic stronghold and the place of social insects 412.1.1 Natural advantages of social entomology 422.1.2 A rival society, accessible to experimentation 442.1.3 The extent of "societies" in insects 462.2 Organicism, superorganism and monospecific society 482.3 The beacon built by Wilson 502.3.1 Classification and social ranks 512.3.2 The enumeration of social births 542.4 Missing questions 562.5 Stigmergy versus haplodiploidy: a "choice of society"? 612.5.1 Stigmergy: from problematic to theory 622.5.2 Socioecological stigmergy versus sociobiological haplodiploidy 652.6 Subsequently emerged information 682.6.1 Thrips 692.6.2 Aphids 712.6.3 Termites, again 722.7 Polyethism, polyphenism and monomania 74Chapter 3 Gray Langur Society and Chimpanzee Culture 773.1 Gray langur society shrunk to infanticide 783.1.1 Practical and theoretical parameters of the "case" 793.1.2 Strategic obsession and fact selection 823.1.3 From scorned comparison to repressed anthropology 863.2 Culture and chimpanzees 913.2.1 Bric-a-brac and difference in degrees 913.2.2 Distinction criterion and the surprise from chimpanzees 953.3 Non-natural selection of comparisons 100Chapter 4 On the Specificity of Human Sociality 1034.1 Logic of inbreeding avoidance in non-human primates 1044.1.1 Facts 1044.1.2 Westermarck effect: difficulties in the face of simian facts 1074.1.3 Sexual avoidance as a social fact 1104.2 Logic of the incest prohibition in humans 1164.2.1 Kinship: a form of intersubjectivity specific to humans 1174.2.2 Birth is a metaphor, and also incest 1204.2.3 Incest prohibition as a struggle for recognition 1254.3 Regarding sexual division of labor and food sharing 1294.3.1 Sexual division of labor as struggle for recognition 1304.3.2 Sharing and recognition 1334.3.3 Failure of sociobiological explanations 1354.4 Outline of a socioecological explanation 1424.4.1 Forgotten issue: ownership 1434.4.2 Ecological efficacy of the hunting-gathering regime 1474.4.3 Evolutionary pertinence of the hunting-gathering regime 151Chapter 5 The Sociobiological Force of Inertia and Socioecology Challenges: Conclusion 1575.1 The meltdown of the debate 1585.1.1 The disastrous confusion between the modes of discussion 1595.1.2 The failure of sociobiology, demonstrated by Wilson 1615.2 The epistemological obstacle behind the force of inertia 1625.2.1 Ariadne's thread against history 1645.2.2 Beanbag against interdependence 1665.2.3 "All other things being equal" 1685.2.4 Diagnosis on the force of inertia of sociobiology 1695.3 Interaction, ecology and social sciences 1715.4 Mutual respect, a condition of interdisciplinarity 1745.5 Conclusion 176Bibliography 179Index 195