Altruistic Ants
Like the robin hanging around the compost pile waiting for a worm to come near the surface so it can pluck it up for a meal, so I hang around this pile of earth waiting for something to consume. All of creation is like the worm ready to pluck and be consumed.
But not like the robin I am a social animal, like ants or the bees, that have survived when other animals have not due to the power of being in a group, willing to sacrifice and share with the group for its survival.
Last night on the Charlie Rose E. O. Wilson, a Harvard University social biologist spoke about his new book The Social Conquest of Earth. Some creatures like ants, wasps, bees or humans have developed a high level of social organization. This breakthrough to this socialization where these creatures are willing to sacrifice for the common good has heightened their survival. The spirit of altruism, concern for welfare of others, of these groups, ants and us, have allowed them to survive and evolved where other creature have not. With the leap to the social order, we survive longer than creatures who are defined by greed and selfishness.
This blending of science and philosophy is fascinating. This understanding of altruism, working for the ‘common good’ has been acknowledge in philosophy but just now it is being based on sciences, biology and math. Advance social organization like ants, bees and human, use altruism to overcome greed and individualism.
This understanding of the virtue traits of altruism gives me hope. A local radio and TV network went out of its way last night on TV news and this morning on radio to apologize that a few of its staff were revealed to have signed the recall petition for Governor Walker of Wisconsin. They apologized and had reprimanded the staff for this break of journalism professionals. Watching the apology on TV last night was surreal since this is the same network that broadcast some of the most, if not the most, right wing, conservative, partisan talk show hosts. How can they talk about lack of professionalism where they are clearly one sided in their broadcast. I turned one of the most right wing talk host on this radio network this morning to see if there has been a change. Even in talking about this issue he was biased and spitting out individualism and disdain for the Democratic Party. These talk show host excel on glorifying individualism and wealth of a few over the many as the American way and denounce any sense of the ‘common good’ or ‘altruism’ as dangerous and wrong.
It is comforting to know that those of us who believe in service to other human beings and the ‘common good’ in the evolutionary selection of nature will triumph over this group. Maybe this is why some of the same conservative, right wing people also deny evolution. Altruism, like the cross, will overcome death and select the survivors.
Comments
(:commentboxchrono:)