Frans de Waal’s Bottom-Up Morality: We’re Not Good Because Of God by BARBARA J. KING “In a book coming out next week called The Bonobo and the Atheist,primatologist Frans de Waal argues that morality is built into our species. Rather than coming to us top-down from God, or any other external source, morality for de Waal springs bottom-up from our emotions and our day-to-day social interactions, which themselves evolved from foundations in animal societies. For 30 years, de Waal has authored books about apes and monkey that open our eyes to the bottom-up origins of our human behaviors, ranging from politics to empathy. In this, his 10th volume, he extends that perspective by writing, “It wasn’t God who introduced us to morality; rather, it was the other way around. God was put into place to help us live the way we felt we ought to.” “The way we felt we ought to” has a long evolutionary history, so that de Waal’s thesis depends crucially on numerous and convincing examples from our closest living relatives. Azalea, a trisomic rhesus macaque (trisomic = born with three copies of a certain chromosome), had abnormal motor and social skills, in ways somewhat akin to humans with Down’s syndrome. Instead of punishing her “incomprehensible blunders,” such as threatening the alpha male, the other macaques were accepting and forgiving of her until Azalea’s death at age three. Female chimpanzees may confront and shut down an overly aggressive male, sometimes even pulling two adversaries close together for reconciliation, or prying rocks from an aroused males’ hands” (read more). (Source: NPR)
Zoom Info
Frans de Waal’s Bottom-Up Morality: We’re Not Good Because Of God by BARBARA J. KING “In a book coming out next week called The Bonobo and the Atheist,primatologist Frans de Waal argues that morality is built into our species. Rather than coming to us top-down from God, or any other external source, morality for de Waal springs bottom-up from our emotions and our day-to-day social interactions, which themselves evolved from foundations in animal societies. For 30 years, de Waal has authored books about apes and monkey that open our eyes to the bottom-up origins of our human behaviors, ranging from politics to empathy. In this, his 10th volume, he extends that perspective by writing, “It wasn’t God who introduced us to morality; rather, it was the other way around. God was put into place to help us live the way we felt we ought to.” “The way we felt we ought to” has a long evolutionary history, so that de Waal’s thesis depends crucially on numerous and convincing examples from our closest living relatives. Azalea, a trisomic rhesus macaque (trisomic = born with three copies of a certain chromosome), had abnormal motor and social skills, in ways somewhat akin to humans with Down’s syndrome. Instead of punishing her “incomprehensible blunders,” such as threatening the alpha male, the other macaques were accepting and forgiving of her until Azalea’s death at age three. Female chimpanzees may confront and shut down an overly aggressive male, sometimes even pulling two adversaries close together for reconciliation, or prying rocks from an aroused males’ hands” (read more). (Source: NPR)
Zoom Info

Frans de Waal’s Bottom-Up Morality: We’re Not Good Because Of God

  • by BARBARA J. KING

“In a book coming out next week called The Bonobo and the Atheist,primatologist Frans de Waal argues that morality is built into our species. Rather than coming to us top-down from God, or any other external source, morality for de Waal springs bottom-up from our emotions and our day-to-day social interactions, which themselves evolved from foundations in animal societies.

For 30 years, de Waal has authored books about apes and monkey that open our eyes to the bottom-up origins of our human behaviors, ranging from politics to empathy. In this, his 10th volume, he extends that perspective by writing, “It wasn’t God who introduced us to morality; rather, it was the other way around. God was put into place to help us live the way we felt we ought to.”

“The way we felt we ought to” has a long evolutionary history, so that de Waal’s thesis depends crucially on numerous and convincing examples from our closest living relatives.

Azalea, a trisomic rhesus macaque (trisomic = born with three copies of a certain chromosome), had abnormal motor and social skills, in ways somewhat akin to humans with Down’s syndrome. Instead of punishing her “incomprehensible blunders,” such as threatening the alpha male, the other macaques were accepting and forgiving of her until Azalea’s death at age three. Female chimpanzees may confront and shut down an overly aggressive male, sometimes even pulling two adversaries close together for reconciliation, or prying rocks from an aroused males’ hands” (read more).

(Source: NPR)

148 Notes/ Hide

  1. maraudingcaptain reblogged this from sagansense
  2. f8cr reblogged this from sagansense
  3. uprightbipedalist reblogged this from theolduvaigorge and added:
    Ugh, how many times must I reblog until I get this right? Originally I was planning on going into a long debate mode...
  4. talyasaurus-rex reblogged this from theolduvaigorge
  5. lepetitlindsay reblogged this from theolduvaigorge and added:
    Fascinating
  6. thewonderandodyssey reblogged this from theolduvaigorge
  7. omgyoureakitty reblogged this from theladygoogle
  8. crunchyicecubes reblogged this from sagansense
  9. manic-multitasker reblogged this from queerliteraphile
  10. tatiana reblogged this from anaidrabbit
  11. tenacioustomato reblogged this from theladygoogle
  12. anaidrabbit reblogged this from queerliteraphile
  13. queerliteraphile reblogged this from siuilaruin
  14. siuilaruin reblogged this from theladygoogle
  15. theladygoogle reblogged this from uprightbipedalist and added:
    omg Barbara!
  16. oldparasitesingle reblogged this from theapothecarysrose
  17. dyp100 reblogged this from solstitialis
  18. radicalgraffiti reblogged this from professorxvx
  19. solstitialis reblogged this from sagansense
  20. kspblog reblogged this from theolduvaigorge
  21. luxury--problem reblogged this from icheissesatch
  22. lostcauserebel reblogged this from realdowntomarsgirls
  23. realdowntomarsgirls reblogged this from icheissesatch
  24. sugarformycoffee reblogged this from uprightbipedalist
  25. nerdandtall reblogged this from sagansense