E.O. Wilson - great scientist or racist?

[Raze]

E.O. Wilson was a American biologist who pasted away December 2021. Wilson has been called "the father of sociobiology" and "the father of biodiversity".

Scientific American published an article about his legacy, pointing out his contributions but also accusing him of racist beliefs and suggesting his legacy harmed equity in silence.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/the-complicated-legacy-of-e-o-wilson/

However, Bangladeshi writer of population genetics Razib Khan released a counter article criticizing the scientific American article as false and using his death for attention.

https://razib.substack.com/p/setting-the-record-straight-open

However some of the co signers have denounced Razib and asked for their signature to be removed

If you read both the articles. What is your opinion? Was E.O. Wilson racist and that tarnished his legacy, or are these claims exaggerated and he should instead be remembered positively for his contribution to science? Were the co-signers wrong to pull their names, or is this a good example of standing by your beliefs?

[Preety_India]

Back then scientists used to be racists, not all though. 

They had expertise in their fields yet their social knowledge was limited. They also wanted to stick to social norms of that era. 

This is like stale news. 

[Yarco]

You have to meet people where they exist in time. Of course a 92 year old dude is going to have outdated views. Take the useful bits and leave the outdated bits behind. In 50 years some of the things that modern science believes today will probably be stuff that people are getting cancelled for.

Dr. Corrie Moreau is highly duplicitous in my eyes, to be posting pics with the guy on December 27, 2021 saying how deeply saddened she is at the loss of her PhD advisor and LONG TERM FRIEND. Then the poor guy isn't even cold in the ground yet and she was signing her name to something denouncing him and distancing herself from him for the sake of her career. Fucking coward.

Edited January 21, 2022 by Yarco