The Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search of Humanism among the Primates
by Frans de Waal
W. W. Norton, 2013 (($27.95))

Building on his 2009 book The Age of Empathy, primatologist de Waal argues that human morality comes not from religion but from our animal ancestors—that it is not “top-down” but “bottom-up.” For evidence, he looks to chimpanzees, which adopt others' children, amend broken relationships and comfort one another in times of stress. He makes the case that humans, like other social primates, are essentially good (though capable of evil) and motivated by the survival benefits of living within a group.

This article was originally published with the title Recommended: The Bonobo and the Atheist.

9 Comments

1. 1. Traveler 007 03:50 PM 3/8/13

   I am a Atheist, swear to God!

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

2. 2. ultimobo 06:52 PM 3/8/13

   as we tend to start with our prejudice, then look for/select facts to support it - I wonder whether the final observation (that people are good) merely reinforced an initial presumption or otherwise if/how it was derived from the research ?

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

3. 3. reynardloki 02:37 PM 3/11/13

   Anna Kuchment: It's not "chimpanzees, which adopt," but rather "chimpanzees, who adopt." They are not inanimate objects. They are individuals with individual personalities, desires, fears, just like humans. Regarding non-human animals as inanimate objects is sadly a common mistake, akin to not including humans in the group known as "animals." These errors are symptomatic of the way humans continue to use and abuse non-human animals.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

4. 4. TonyTrenton 07:19 PM 3/11/13

   The probability of there being intellect behind the creation of DNA as a program is much higher than there not being a creator, or creators involved.
   
   It is useful to try and understand the scale of an intellect that can create a Universe.
   
   Chaos theory shows that everything in our Universe is scaleable
   
   We should understand that the priorities of such entities will not be the same as ours and certainly not very personable.
   
   

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

5. 5. TonyTrenton 07:23 PM 3/11/13

   I suspect that there are many levels of creators. Not just one.
   
   This concept is due to the near death experience I had in 1981.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

6. 6. TonyTrenton in reply to reynardloki 07:34 PM 3/11/13

   These very same motivations may explain the undeniabley vast quantities of Alien interactions recorded historically . This time we are the subject matter.
   
   Our isolation in the vastness of Space. Makes a perfect laboratory for advanced species who have found the means of interstellar travel.
   
   

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

7. 7. christinaak 07:58 PM 3/11/13

   I agree that it is virtually certain that morality arose as a consequence of homo sapiens being social organisms, and that the rudiments of primitive morality can be found in the social relationships of our primate relatives. In other words, we have an innate tendency toward moral behavior because it has survival value as a means to perpetuate the species (our species depends on cooperative behavior to survive).

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

8. 8. American Muse 09:37 PM 3/11/13

   Humans are moral? Bah humbug! So this exorbitantly specicidal and persistently genocidal creature has empathy? Bah humbug again! A million killed in Iraq(2000s), a million in Rwanda (1990s), a million in Bangladesh (1970s) hardly scratches the surface. Only Homo sapiens can be so full of hubris to make such a claim.

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this

9. 9. sunnystrobe in reply to American Muse 11:31 AM 3/15/13

   We mustn't forget there are now more than 7 billion of us 'Homines Sapientes Sapientes'! So,really, a million killed here and there, statistically speaking, is a very, very low percentage!

   Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this