Homo Sapiens
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“…Homo sapiens, a primate risen in Africa from a lineage that split away from the chimpanzee line five to eight million years ago” (501). In Wilson’s terms, Homo sapiens is the reason for earth’s change and composition. He asserts that no other species has ever come close to the human species of 5.5 billion, and furthermore believes that this vast number will likely double within the next 50 years.
Wilson goes on to say that our species is like no other: “We are tribal and aggressively territorial, intent on private space beyond minimal requirements and oriented by selfish sexual and reproductive drives” (502). We can bluntly observe that Wilson has a pessimistic outlook. He illustrates loudly that the behavior of Homo sapiens on earth is just depraved; “In this relentless search for more food, we have reduced animal life in lakes, rivers and now, increasingly, the open ocean… …[W]e pollute the air and water, lower water tables and extinguish species” (502). Essentially, Wilson is saying that we as a species are diminishing our own homes.
Wilson explains that perhaps human behavior on earth is based on “the juggernaut theory of human nature, which holds that people are programmed by their genetic heritage to be so selfish that a sense of global responsibility will come too late… …[i]ndividuals place themselves first, family second, tribe third and the rest of the world a distant fourth” (502). Additionally, he goes on to say that “A premium was placed on close attention to the near future and early reproduction, and little else” (503). In other words, Wilson basically believes that we only have ourselves [humans] to blame.
“With people everywhere seeking a better quality of life, the search for resources is expanding even faster than the population” (503). This leading us to anticipate that the one billion people living in poverty will increase to another 100 million by the end of the decade. “Are we racing to the brink of an abyss, or are we just gathering speed for a takeoff to a wonderful future?” (503) This question directs us to the schools of thought which have arisen to project the likely future of Homo sapiens’ existence on earth: exemptionalism and environmentalism.
Exemptionalism holds that, population growth is good for the economy. In other words, Homo sapiens is like any other species expanding in geological time. As for extinction, they believe if it is to happen, then it will. “…[S]ince humankind is transcendent in intelligence and spirit, so must our species have been release from the iron laws of ecology that bind all other species” (504). That is “nature’s way” (504) — what Wilson says to describe the views of exemptionalists. Basically, exemptionalism holds the idea that if the planet has enough resources for us to last, then we should go on with our lives.
In opposition, however, environmentalism holds a quite different perspective. They see humanity as a “biological species tightly dependent on the natural world… …our intellect and fierce spirit