On Societies as Organisms Article

In On societies as Organisms, Thomas points out that the writers of books on insect behavior go to great lengths to distinguish the uniqueness of insect life. Furthermore, it is political incorrect to imply in any way that the "operation of insect societies has any relation at all to human affairs". Nevertheless, Thomas admits that it's difficult for a bystander watching an ant colony not to do exactly that. He writes that ants are "so much like human beings as to be an embarrassment". They farm and they raise livestock. They launch armies into war and use chemical sprays to alarm and confuse their enemies. They also capture slaves. But because ants are part of a collective society, we don't like the idea that they are not something totally foreign.