This is Jay Hanson's argument. They may believe they are operating in the realm of science and remain unaware of any ideological commitments. Indeed, ideology is more effective when it operates at the deeper levels of legitimacy. Most people, including very perceptive and intelligent people, are ignorant of the real character of certain scientistic forms of intellectual discourse, and they unwittingly accept these tenets. Sociobiology is particularly effective at tapping unquestioned and uncritical sources of legitimacy because it prays on the most basic common sense assumptions that people have about the world.
Sociobiology represents the biologizing of tacit daily common sense.
It is for this reason a particularly dangerous form of racist-sexist discourse. I appreciate Mark's understanding that the points I make are valid. I don't know Mark Jones very well. We have had a handful of confrontations on a couple of listservs, but these didn't get very deep, mainly because he resorts to personalizing everything and avoiding the issue, as he has clearly demonstrated today. But it is not in my nature to rile people up purposely.