like other activism (eg nat turner) i think it did raise some issues and get attention.    nat turner was much more extreme, but in the big picture his short rebellion actually had an effect.   whether there is a theory of
what tactics are best seems unknown.  

  i only glanced at the chapter in wilson's sociobiology book that was seen as bad, and by today's standards it actually doesn't seem objectionable, though masybe i missed something.  it seemed to just suugest genetic influences might exist for human society.    i'm not sure it went beyond what Boyd and richerson seem to advocate, which is a genetic explanation for social learning---i.e. a 'blank slate' kind of thing, since people can learn m/any things.   and it seemed well written---discussion of multiply peaked fitness landscapes, epistasis, etc. was quite current.   however, i did hear Wilson endorse the bell curve book on NPR, and he has a weird view of religion it seems---it may be somehow essential to human functioning (either as a genetic product or spandrel) but also it is counterproductive, so scientists should advocate against what is nonetheless determined to exist.  (possibly like sin---rail against the dying of the night..).   wilson more
 recently is now also a fave for ecological types, and he even co-authored a peace with d s wilson who is less identified with social darwinism and more with altruism.   

--- On Thu, 7/30/09, Jon Beckwith <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> From: Jon Beckwith <[log in to unmask]>
> Subject: water-pouring
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Date: Thursday, July 30, 2009, 9:44 AM
> 
>  
> One small
> correction Mart.  Science for the People had nothing
> to do with
> pouring water on E.O. Wilson's head.  It was the
> Committee Against
> Racism of the Progressive Labor Party.  I, along with
> others of our
> SftP study group were at that session of the AAAS
> meetinbg.  After
> the water-pouring, I stood up and, on behalf of SftP,
> deplored the
> water-pouring and dissociated us from such
> tactics.
> 
>                                                  
>  Jon
> 
> 
>  
> Jon Beckwith
> 
> Dept. of Microbiology and Molecular Genetics
> 
> Harvard Medical School
> 
> 200 Longwood Ave.
> 
> Boston, MA 02115
> 
> 
> Tel. 617-432-1920
> 
> FAX 617-738-7664
> 
> e-mail [log in to unmask]
> 
> website
> <
> http://beck2.med.harvard.edu/>
> 
> At my website you can find the
> Spring 2009
> syllabus of a
> course I teach, Social Issues and
> Biology.  Go to
> "People", then to me
> and click on the Microbiology 213 line.
> 
> 
>  
> 
>