Frans de Waal

In this paper, I am going to analyze the theories and claims about human nature created by Frans De Waal and Thomas Huxley as presented by the assigned textbook, reading packet, and class discussions. I will examine both ideas of the human condition through elements of observation to raise questions and thoroughly understand the viewpoints of De Waal and Huxley. I will then state that Huxley proposes a more convincing claim of the human condition and explain why I feel so. My conclusion is that while De Waal does raise keen observations about the morality of human beings, Huxley provides a more solid claim that moral tendencies and choices are not naturally part of the human condition. The elements of observation that I will primarily…

In Frans de Waal’s Ted Talk, “Moral Behavior in Animals” the speaker discusses the concept of morality that is prevalent in animals and how the morality has been tested and identified. First Waal introduces human morality by using an example of a painting by artist, Hieronymus Bosch, titled, “The Garden of Earthly Delights” which conveys an image of humanity prior to its potential downfall. From this painting, Waal contemplates if morality would exist in humans if they had not been interested in…

Frans De Waal, a leading primatologist and author of many other books, including The Bonobo and the Atheist and Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes, now 69 years old is the director of the Living Links Center and the Charles Howard Candler professor of Primate Behavior at Emory University. Frans De Waal is from The Netherlands, but is currently living in Atlanta, Georgia. De Waal has received many awards, such as the 2015 ASP Distinguished Primatologist Award, the 2014 Galileo Prize,…

To think that I would have a completely different way of thinking about my daily activities from research of a painting of “The Garden of Earthly Delights” by Heironymus Bosch, this painting is a part of our first year read book that is brought up on many occasions by Frans Dee Waal who relates it back to the Bonobos. This painting required much time looking at and much research. To me this painting has made me come to think so much about temptations that we fight in our life, to me as a college…

Throughout Good Natured by Frans de Waal, de Waal adopts a perspective seeking to understand attributes and behaviors of humans and other animals by linking them to an organism’s ability to survive. This standpoint is one known as the evolutionist perspective. De Waal says this about aggression: “a behavior that is universal in the human species, and widespread in the animal kingdom, simply cannot be as detrimental as social science would have us believe. There must be advantages associated with…

animals naturally kill and eat each other. If the hawk does not care about the feelings of the rabbit that it eats, why should humans be any different?” (Stevens 1). Stevens also makes a good point because the human race, like all other species in nature, must place its own interests above the interests of other species. Mankind must ensure that their necessities and livelihood is taken care of before looking after fellow animals. Ed Yong of SeedMagazine.com provides objective research and…

regretting his attempt to create life and realized it was a catastrophe solely because the creature’s appearance disgusted him. The scientist became horrified and wanted to escape instead of dealing with the consequences. Per philosopher Sartre, every individual must take responsibility for their action without blaming anyone or anything else and Victor failed to do so. He did not fulfill his responsibility of taking care of his creation, instead, found the excuse of creature’s appearance to…

Morality and Ethics The Bonobo and The Atheist written by world-renowned primatologist Frans De Waal, De Waal uses this medium to show his decades of research with primates to explain morality, ethics, and humanism. De Waal’s intent is not to disprove our beliefs on modern religion; his intention instead is to better explain our sense of morality. The subtitle of De Waal’s book “In Search of Humanism Among the Primates” outlines his goals for the book. De Waal takes the idea of top-down…

Human beings have always tried to compare themselves to other species, as if it helped to assert their dominance, and have tried to set themselves apart as the only intelligent being. This is something that humanity has always done and we should evolve past it. As Bartkowski is stating throughout her essay we need to branch out into different fields of study and put together the missing pieces that connect us to the other beings that we share the planet with. Frans de Waal published a series of…

Joshua D Margolis journal, “explore conflicts that may occur between morals and ethics in human beings. The journal is drawn from Fran de Waal’s “path-breaking work” (de Waal, 1996; Flack and de Waal, 2002); his view and perception into human morality in three ways-Human Responsibility, The Problem of Inconsistency and Paradoxical Effects of Fortification will be discussed. (Margolis, 1998) Human Responsibility The past two decades, there have been events that captivated our attention like the…