I RESPECT the work of three great thinkers – Sigmund Freud, Arthur Koestler and the lesser-known but brilliant biologist, Edward O. Wilson. Their theorising has started from different directions but they end up saying the same thing about Homo sapiens.

Wilson contended that the genetic makeup of Homo sapiens makes them prone to violence and other forms of unacceptable instincts. When he published his book on his genetic findings, there was a huge outbreak of protest from students and faculty at Harvard with security provided for Wilson.

Wilson replied to his detractors with simple reasoning. He said his scientific research discovered genetic faults of humans and though they may be unpalatable, that is what exists objectively in science. But he went on to add that there are social mechanisms government could put in place to prevent humans behaving as if they were living in early evolutionary forms. He said scientists make discoveries, not policies and it is for government to put in place things that prevent people from uncivilised conduct.

This is very similar to Koestler. He argued that there are evolutionary line faults in Homo sapiens that make them susceptible to the very things Wilson discovered though Koestler wrote his take on Homo sapiens before Wilson published his findings. But Koestler went on to argue that Homo sapiens do not have to live deterministic lives. Nurture can intervene to tame nature.

This is where Freud made a lasting contribution to human knowledge. Freud asserts that the libidinal drive is the most compelling instinct in humans but society has evolved in such a way that natural rather than man-made roadblocks exist to prevent the libidinal drive from overcoming humans. Freud spoke of the natural methods of sublimation in which people repress their sexual instincts and channel them into worthwhile contributions to civilisation.

On reading Wilson and Koestler you could succumb to pessimism but the historical record from thousands of years ago way into our present generation, has shown where nurture rather than nature has undermined the raw instincts of Freud, the genetic determinism of Wilson and the evolutionary faults of Koestler.

Proving Koesler, Wilson and Freud wrong would be phenomenal scholarship but even if their findings are water-proof they have not undermined two things – the progress of civilisation and the innate goodness of Homo sapiens. There have been millions of good, decent Jews who have denounced the committal of genocide by the Israeli state.

Once there are good humans, people with diminished opportunities and social disadvantages will be provided with pathways to achieve meaning in their life. I wrote in last week’s Sunday column that in place of the publication of my memoir, I will do episodic snippets of my life.

This column here is part of that endeavour. I achieved social elevation and psychic stability (though quite a few people told me over the past 50 years that they think I am crazy) despite humongous and incredible poverty because good humans have intervened and saved my life from drifting into wasteful cul-de-sacs of quicksand.

In Wortmanville, my parents with very low income had 7 mouths to feed. Since I was the last, by the time I arrived in the world, there was nothing to see, nothing to do, nothing to eat, nowhere to go. After primary school that was it. High school was a mirage. I still feel I missed out in life by not experiencing the blissful and nasty side of high school life but the UG campus experience was extraordinarily satisfying.

But all the time growing up in poverty in Wortmanville, there was a voice in my head that wouldn’t go away. That voice wanted to own me, wanted to control me and it did. That voice wanted me to make something out of my existence. I wanted an education. I wanted to have qualifications and work to have money. And since that ghost in my head would not leave me, I followed it where it led me.

It led me to the Michael Forde Bookstore, the bottom flat of Freedom House, the head office of the People’s Progressive Party. I became a polling agent for the PPP in the 1968 general election. I excelled in the work I did for the party and my sister explained to Mrs. Janet Jagan that at least one Kissoon should become something. She asked Mrs. Jagan for a job for me and I landed in ethereal bliss – the Michael Forde Bookstore.

During lunchtime, there was no food to eat but books were my food. I spent my daily lunch time devouring philosophy books, especially Marxist philosophy. I even stole some books. That was the beginning of my journey to the pasture of hopes and dreams. I never looked back after stepping into the Michael Forde Bookstore.

DISCLAIMER: The views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the Guyana National Newspapers Limited.