Primates and Philosophers

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 o