The Meaning of Human Existence
-
Edward O Wilson
Quiz Questions:
Chapter 1: Reading pg.12-13,
and last paragraph of pg15
1. What does Wilson
describe as the two worldwide views of the word ‘meaning’?
2. What does Wilson say
is the most important, yet still least examined threshold of the
techno-scientific era?
Chapter 2: Reading pg.18
(last paragraph)-19, 30-31,33
3. Biologist have found
that the biological origin of advanced social behavior in humans arised through
______________.
Chapter 3: Reading pg.27-28
4. In 1979, what was
awarded to Edward O Wilson for his work in nonfiction?
5. Wilson says is the
‘leading candidate’ when searching for the key to the mystery that lifted
pre-human social behavior to the human level?
6. Normal humans are
geniuses at reading the _____________ of others.
Chapter 4:
7. A large part of human
creativity is generated by the inevitable and necessary conflict between the
individual and group levels of ________________________.
Chapter 7
8. What is the greatest
contribution that science can make to the humanities?
9. What is the
Naturalists’ rule?
Chapter 8
10. How is communism similar
to driver ants?
11. How is a driver ant
colony similar to an amoeba?
Chapter 9
12. How would finding
even the simplest extraterrestrial life be a quantal leap in human history?
Chapter 10
13. How many times has
the final evolutionary step prior to the human-level singularity occurred?
14. What, according to
the author, are the two good reasons why galactic conquest has never happened?
Discussion Questions:
Ch.1
Do you believe in the
religious form of meaning? Humanity it assumes exist for a purpose. Individuals
have a purpose in being on earth. Both humanity and individuals have meaning.
Any entity, process, or definition of a word itself is put into play as result
of an intended consequence in the mind of the designer.
OR
Do you believe in the
scientific view of meaning? It is that the accidents of history, not the
intentions of a designer, are the source of meaning. There is no advance
design, but instead, overlapping networks of physical cause and effect. The
unfolding of history is obedient only to the general laws of the universe. Each
event is random yet alters the probability of later events. During organic
evolution for example, the origin of one adaptation by natural selection makes
the origin of certain other adaptations more likely.
Ch.3
Are human beings inartistically
good but corruptible by the forces of evil, or the reverse, innately sinful yet
redeemable by the forces of good? Are we Built to pledge our lives to a group,
even to the risk of death, or the opposite, built to place ourselves and our
families above all else?
Ch.7
How does our limited
since hinder us? Do you think it would be better to live in this world if we
could understand pheromones? Why or why not?
Ch.9
Do you believe that there
is life on other planets? If so what would they look like?
1. I believe in the religious form of meaning. I believe everyone and humanity as a whole serves a purpose.
ReplyDelete2. I believe humans are born good but corruptible by the forces of evil. I don't believe any baby is born evil.
3. I think it would be worse. Ignorance is bliss.
4. I do believe that there is life on other planets, but I have no idea what they would look like.