Good Natured (Magill’s Literary Annual 1991-2005)
At a glance:
- Author: Frans B. M. de Waal
- First Published: 1996
- Type of Work: Science
- Genres: Nonfiction, Science and technology
- Subjects: Psychology or psychologists, Science or scientists, Good and evil, Ethics, Behaviorism, Sociology, Animals, Philanthropy or philanthropists
Frans de Waal, a leading primatologist specializing in sociobiology, tries to solve the problem Charles Darwin once faced: If nature is amoral, how can humans be moral? All behaviors, many sociobiologists believe, can be explained by a so-called “selfish gene.” De Waal, however, seeking biological and evolutionary roots of human behavior, believes morality can be accounted for in the same way as other human traits.
Through de Waal’s eyes the reader sees all kinds of animals help each other, share food, resolve conflicts to mutual satisfaction, and even demonstrate a crude...
[The entire page is 2236 words long]
Join eNotes
Over 3,500 study guides, question and answer forums, literature criticism, reference content, and much more!
