Analysis Of The Bonobo And The Atheist By Frans De Waal

Primatologist Frans de Waal, author of The Bonobo and the Atheist, argues that human morality is not imposed from above but instead comes from within. Moral behavior doesn’t begin and then end with religion, but is a product of evolution. What that means, is that de Waal believes that human morality is not something you are born with but something you develop according to the environment around you, socially, economically and educationally. Primates and even non-primates are an example of this. When an infant is born, they are raised by their mothers for many years. Infants of all kinds depend on their mothers and even others around them, to show them what’s right and what’s wrong. In primates, some of the different kinds of primates, mothers are the ones who take care of their infants and raise

The mother-infant relationship is therefore crucial for the learning, socialization, and survival of their young. Although some of the primate’s actions are wrong to us, it’s natural to them because that’s what they’ve been taught for years. Ethical behavior involves demonstrating admiration for moral principles that include honesty, fairness, and equality. For many years, de Waal has observed chimpanzees ease distressed neighbors and bonobos share their food. He now delivers fascinating evidence for ethical behavior in primate societies that further strengthens the case for the biological origins of human fairness. Connecting dramatic tales from the animal kingdom with considerate philosophical analysis, de Waal seeks a bottom-up explanation of morality that emphasizes our connection with animals. The morality that de Waal leaps bottom-up from our emotions and our day-to-day social interactions, which themselves evolved from foundations in animal