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Primates and Philosophers: How Morality Evolved (Princeton Science Library, 43) Paperback – March 22, 2016
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Can virtuous behavior be explained by nature, and not by human rational choice? "It's the animal in us," we often hear when we've been bad. But why not when we're good? Primates and Philosophers tackles this question by exploring the biological foundations of one of humanity's most valued traits: morality.
In this provocative book, renowned primatologist Frans de Waal argues that modern-day evolutionary biology takes far too dim a view of the natural world, emphasizing our "selfish" genes and reinforcing our habit of labeling ethical behavior as humane and the less civilized as animalistic. Seeking the origin of human morality not in evolution but in human culture, science insists that we are moral by choice, not by nature.
Citing remarkable evidence based on his extensive research of primate behavior, de Waal attacks "Veneer Theory," which posits morality as a thin overlay on an otherwise nasty nature. He explains how we evolved from a long line of animals that care for the weak and build cooperation with reciprocal transactions. Drawing on Darwin, recent scientific advances, and his extensive research of primate behavior, de Waal demonstrates a strong continuity between human and animal behavior. He probes issues such as anthropomorphism and human responsibilities toward animals. His compelling account of how human morality evolved out of mammalian society will fascinate anyone who has ever wondered about the origins and reach of human goodness.
Based on the Tanner Lectures de Waal delivered at Princeton University's Center for Human Values in 2004, Primates and Philosophers includes responses by the philosophers Peter Singer, Christine M. Korsgaard, and Philip Kitcher and the science writer Robert Wright. They press de Waal to clarify the differences between humans and other animals, yielding a lively debate that will fascinate all those who wonder about the origins and reach of human goodness.
- Print length232 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherPrinceton University Press
- Publication dateMarch 22, 2016
- Dimensions5.4 x 0.7 x 8.4 inches
- ISBN-100691169160
- ISBN-13978-0691169163
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Editorial Reviews
Review
"De Waal is one of the world's foremost authorities on nonhuman primates, and his thoughtful contribution to Primates and Philosophers is enriched by decades of close observation of their behavior. . . . He argues that humans are like their closest evolutionary kin in being moral by nature. . . . [A]n impressively well-focused collection of essays."---John Gray, New York Review of Books
"Celebrated primatologist Frans de Waal . . . demonstrates through his empirical work with primates the evolutionary basis for ethics." ― Publishers Weekly
"Frans de Waal . . . argues that . . . morality is actually a gift from animal ancestors and that people are good not by choice but by nature. . . . He argues that . . . critics fail to recognize that while animals are not human, humans are animals." ― Science News
"Dutch-born psychologist, ethologist and primatologist Frans de Waal has spent his career watching the behavior of apes and monkeys, mostly captive troupes in zoos. . . . His work . . . has helped lift Darwin's conjectures about the evolution of morality to a new level. . . . [De Waal argues that] sympathy, empathy, right and wrong are feelings that we share with other animals; even the best part of human nature, the part that cares about ethics and justice, is also part of nature."---Jonathan Weiner, Scientific American
"Frans de Waal . . . show[s] how elements of morality such as empathy, sympathy, community concern and a sense of fairness also exist in our closest primate relatives."---David Sloan Wilson, American Scientist
"Exceptionally rich but always lucid. . . . Intellectual soul food for biology-minded ethicists."---Ray Olsen, Booklist
"In his new book, Primates and Philosophers, Frans de Waal argues that the origins of human goodness can be seen in apes and monkeys. He claims that we have evolved from a long line of social animals for whom close co-operation is 'not an option but a survival strategy'. Not only are we nice by nature, but our ancestors were too, ever since they came down from the proverbial trees."---Stephen Cave, Financial Times
"Frans de Waal, an acclaimed primatologist, has much to say about what he considers the biological origins of morality. Unlike many recent antireligion writers such as Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Daniel Dennett, who use the latest socio-biological research to campaign against religion, de Waal has no antireligious agenda. This both keeps his writing more focused and helps him avoid many of the argumentative errors of Dawkins and company...De Waal is a keen social observer, but he focuses mostly on what we can learn from what he knows best–the study of primates, including the human variety."---Joe Pettit, Commonweal
"[A] remarkably interesting and rich set of reflections about the nature of morality, the social experiences of nonhuman primates, and the continuities and differences between the social experiences of human and nonhuman primates. The book can be read both as discussion on the nature of evolution and as a primer on ethical theory. . . . All in all this is an extremely interesting book on a central human preoccupation–the question of our relationship with Nature–and is a demonstration that the collaboration of sympathetic points of view can produce a wider and wiser whole."---Eric Dayton, The Structurist
"This fascinating book by one of the leading primatologists examines the biological foundations of morality as it grows out of primate sociality while remaining within a framework of random natural selection. . . . An informative and accessible discussion to an important topic."---David Lorimer, Paradigm Explorer
Review
"On the basis of a fascinating and provocative account of the remarkable continuities between the social emotions of humans and of nonhuman primates, de Waal develops a compelling case―which moral philosophers would do well to take seriously―for the evolutionary roots of human morality. In addition, he and his commentators conduct an illuminating discussion of some fundamental methodological and ethical issues―such as whether it is necessarily illicit to characterize animal behavior 'anthropomorphically,' and whether it is reasonable to attribute 'rights' to animals. Anyone who is interested in these issues, and especially those interested in the sources of human morality, will find this book exceptionally challenging and worthwhile."―Harry Frankfurt, author of On Bullshit
"Frans de Waal is the perfect guide to the emerging data on moral-like behavior in animals. Strengthened by deep sensitivity to the complexity of social relations and by a strong defense of anthropomorphism, this book shows how evolutionary biology can contribute to moral philosophy not merely through general principles, but by specific phylogenetic comparisons. It is a major advance in the socialization of ethology."―Richard Wrangham, Harvard University, coauthor of Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence
"Here, Frans de Waal, the world's leading researcher on primate behavior, a highly reflective thinker, and a skilled writer, presents the fruits of thirty years of empirical research. Addressing some of the most fundamental issues of social science and moral theory, he and the commentators produce a book that will be of deep and enduring interest to philosophers, social and political theorists, and anyone who wishes to assess their views about human nature and the nature of morality."―John Gray, London School of Economics, author of Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals
"This important book centers on Frans de Waal's powerful statement about the psychological nature of moral behavior, which involves strong continuities between humans and apes."―Christopher Boehm, University of Southern California, author of Hierarchy in the Forest
From the Back Cover
"Frans de Waal has achieved that state of grace for a scientist--doing research that is both rigorous and wildly creative, and in the process has redefined how we think about the most interesting realms of behavior among nonhuman primates--cooperation, reconciliation, a sense of fairness, and even the rudiments of morality. In these Tanner lectures and the subsequent dialogue with leading philosophers and evolutionary psychologists, de Waal takes this knowledge to redefine how we think of morality in another primate, namely ourselves. This is superb and greatly challenging thinking."--Robert M. Sapolsky, author of Why Zebras Don't Get Ulcers and A Primate's Memoir
"On the basis of a fascinating and provocative account of the remarkable continuities between the social emotions of humans and of nonhuman primates, de Waal develops a compelling case--which moral philosophers would do well to take seriously--for the evolutionary roots of human morality. In addition, he and his commentators conduct an illuminating discussion of some fundamental methodological and ethical issues--such as whether it is necessarily illicit to characterize animal behavior 'anthropomorphically, ' and whether it is reasonable to attribute 'rights' to animals. Anyone who is interested in these issues, and especially those interested in the sources of human morality, will find this book exceptionally challenging and worthwhile."--Harry Frankfurt, author of On Bullshit
"Frans de Waal is the perfect guide to the emerging data on moral-like behavior in animals. Strengthened by deep sensitivity to the complexity of social relations and by a strong defense of anthropomorphism, this book shows how evolutionary biology can contribute to moral philosophy not merely through general principles, but by specific phylogenetic comparisons. It is a major advance in the socialization of ethology."--Richard Wrangham, Harvard University, coauthor of Demonic Males: Apes and the Origins of Human Violence
"Here, Frans de Waal, the world's leading researcher on primate behavior, a highly reflective thinker, and a skilled writer, presents the fruits of thirty years of empirical research. Addressing some of the most fundamental issues of social science and moral theory, he and the commentators produce a book that will be of deep and enduring interest to philosophers, social and political theorists, and anyone who wishes to assess their views about human nature and the nature of morality."--John Gray, London School of Economics, author of Straw Dogs: Thoughts on Humans and Other Animals
"This important book centers on Frans de Waal's powerful statement about the psychological nature of moral behavior, which involves strong continuities between humans and apes."--Christopher Boehm, University of Southern California, author of Hierarchy in the Forest
About the Author
Product details
- Publisher : Princeton University Press; 2nd prt. edition (March 22, 2016)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 232 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0691169160
- ISBN-13 : 978-0691169163
- Item Weight : 2.31 pounds
- Dimensions : 5.4 x 0.7 x 8.4 inches
- Best Sellers Rank: #282,856 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #17 in Primatology
- #657 in Popular Social Psychology & Interactions
- #812 in Philosophy of Ethics & Morality
- Customer Reviews:
About the authors
I am a Dutch/American biologist, born in 1948 in Den Bosch, the Netherlands. I have lived in the USA since 1981.
My passion is primate behavior, and the comparison between primate and human behavior. I pursue the first as a scientist and the second as the author of popular science books. For me, there is nothing more logical than to look at human society through the lens of animal behavior. I have a Ph. D. in biology and ethology (the study of animal behavior) from the University of Utrecht.
My first book, "Chimpanzee Politics" (1982), compared the schmoozing and scheming of chimpanzees involved in power struggles with that of human politicians. The book was put on the reading list of congress in Washington. Ever since, I have drawn parallels between primate and human behavior, from aggression to morality and culture.
Gender differences are a logical subject for a primatologist since the gender debate always turns around. the interaction between nature and nurture. Despite attempts to separate gender from biology, as if it were purely a human construct, the reason we have a gender duality is that our species has two sexes to begin with. I agree that the sexual binary is a mere approximation (even at the biological level, it has exceptions and intermediates), but still, the way the sexes differ in other primates tells us something about ourselves.
My latest book "Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist" (Norton, 2022) compares sex differences in three closely related species: humans, chimpanzees, and bonobos. It tries to dispel the idea that only humans have genders and that only we have gender diversity. Other primates, too, adopt sex-typical behavior from watching others, hence have genders. They show the same array of gender expressions celebrated under the LGBTQ flag. My book pays attention to non-conforming individuals as well as homosexual behavior among the primates.
Since childhood, I have been an animal lover, and in fact -- even though my career has focused on primate behavior -- I am interested in all sorts of animals, including fish and birds, but also elephants and dolphins. My book on animal intelligence -- "Are We Smart Enough to Know How Smart Animals Are?" (Norton, 2016) -- reflects this broader interest, as it covers a wide range of species.
My wife, Catherine, and I live in a forested area near Smoke Rise, in Georgia, a state we love. I retired from my position at Emory University in 2019, right before the Covid crisis. I am still involved in primate studies, mainly at sanctuaries for great apes in Africa, but mostly devote my time to reading, writing, and touring to give lectures.
I am a member of the National Academy of Sciences as well as of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2007, Time declared me one of The Worlds’ 100 Most Influential People Today.
My books have been translated into over twenty languages, appeared on the New York Times bestseller list, and received awards, such as:
• The 2020 PEN / E.O. Wilson Literary Science Writing Award for "Mama’s Last Hug"
• The 1989 Los Angeles Times Book Award for "Peacemaking among Primates"
More on my background on the following website:
https://www.emory.edu/LIVING_LINKS/bonobo_atheist/author1.shtml
My public Facebook page with 750K followers announces upcoming lectures:
https://www.facebook.com/franspublic/
Discover more of the author’s books, see similar authors, read author blogs and more
For more information see Christine M. Korsgaard's web page at
http://www.people.fas.harvard.edu/~korsgaar/
I am a professor of Political Science and Classics at Stanford University. I am also the founder and currently faculty director of the Stanford Civics Initiative (https://civics.stanford.edu/). I hold a bachelor's degree in History from the University of Minnesota and a PhD in History from the University of Michigan. I joined the Stanford faculty in 2006; I previously taught at Princeton and Montana State Universities. I once served as Chairman of Princeton’s Classics Department and later as Chairman of Stanford’s Political Science Department. My writing focuses on history, political theory, economic thought, and the contemporary relevance of the ancient Greek world. My current work in progress includes a book, co-authored with my friend Brook Manville, on the role of civic bargains in the emergence and persistence of democratic government. My wife is Adrienne Mayor, the author of a number of terrific books on ancient myth and science.
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Customers find the book very informative and appreciate the views from different scholars.
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"...The book has some good thoughts but I much prefer the most recent books that de Waal has written and I would recommend starting there first as they..." Read more
"Excellent book; Very informative on the topic. This was the "go-to" source for my Philosophy Senior Thesis on sapience and pan troglodytes." Read more
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Customers find the writing style very well written. They also say the presentation of the material is okay, but not as it is for the author's other books or other science.
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"...His writing is clear and can be understood by anyone. Highly recommended." Read more
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The main thrust of de Waal's essay is what he calls "Veneer Theory," which is the argument that morality is only a thin veneer overlaid on an amoral or immoral core. The first to respond is Robert Wright ( The Moral Animal: Evolutionary Psychology and Everyday Life ), who states that he is in fact not an adherent to de Waal's Veneer Theory. Second is Christine M. Korsgaard ( Self-Constitution: Agency, Identity, and Integrity ), who denies that Veneer Theory is even real. Third is Philip Kitcher ( Living with Darwin: Evolution, Design, and the Future of Faith (Philosophy in Action) ), who generally attacks Veneer Theory as not being relevant to bridging the divide between primates and humans. The fourth, last, and my personal favorite, comes from Peter Singer ( The Life You Can Save: Acting Now to End World Poverty ). Singer, I believe, does the greatest justice to the entire argument and I happen to agree with almost everything he says. Singer states, "The issue, then, is not so much whether we accept the Veneer Theory of morality, but rather how much of morality is veneer, and how much is underlying structure. Those who claim that all of morality is a veneer laid over a basically individualistic, selfish human nature, are mistaken. Yet a morality that goes beyond our own group and shows impartial concern for all human beings might well be seen as a veneer over the nature we share with other social mammals."
In conclusion, I think this is a valuable book and do recommend it. I would also recommend getting Michael Tomasello's Why We Cooperate (Boston Review Books) as it is similar in nature and style. Lastly, I would also mention that Frans de Waal mentions a research experiment in which he "demonstrates" primate empathy, but as Tomasello points out, "But studies [contra de Waal] from three different laboratories in the case of the capuchins, and from our laboratory in the case of the chimpanzees, have all found that this is a spurious result in that it does not depend on a social comparison at all. One of the studies found that simply seeing and expecting to receive the grape makes the cucumber look less attractive to chimpanzees. No other individuals need to be around. There is no social comparison going on, only food comparison. So nothing related to norms of fairness are at work either (pg. 32)." Hope that helps.
It is important to note that I am in no way highly educated in the fields of primatology, anthropology, or philosophy; my background is in math and computer science; so I came to this book with a certain ignorance.
Top reviews from other countries
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If, like me, you are happy with these constraints, you may find de Waal's arguments almost irresistible - the contrast between de Waal's empirically-based observations and the "thought experiments" and definitional quibbling of the philosophers is especially telling.
Whilst most of the material that de Waals describes appears in more - and more satisfying - detail in his earlier book, "The Bonobo and the Atheist", this volume does represent an interesting attempt to create a genuine dialogue between "science" and more purely academic philosophy. It might also act as a useful corrective to those who misinterpret the notion of "selfishness" in its biological, Darwinian sense.
Highly recommended.
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