Bøger af Frans de Waal

'Kindness and co-operation have played a crucial role in raising humans to the top of the evolutionary tree ... We have thrived on the milk of human kindness.' ObserverBY THE AUTHOR OF ARE WE SMART ENOUGH TO KNOW HOW SMART ANIMALS ARE?'There is a widely-held assumption that humans are hard-wired for relentless and ruthless competition ... Frans de Waal sees nature differently - as a biological legacy in which empathy, not mere self-interest, is shared by humans, bonobos and animals.' Ben Macintyre, The TimesEmpathy holds us together. That we are hardwired to be altruistic is the result of thousands of years of evolutionary biology which has kept society from slipping into anarchy. But we are not alone: primates, elephants, even rodents are empathetic creatures too.Social behaviours such as the herding instinct, bonding rituals, expressions of consolation and even conflict resolution demonstrate that animals are designed to feel for each other. From chimpanzees caring for mates that have been wounded by leopards, elephants reassuring youngsters in distress and dolphins preventing sick companions from drowning, with a wealth of anecdotes, scientific observations, wry humour and incisive intelligence, The Age of Empathy is essential reading for all who believe in the power of our connections to each other.

A New York Times Bestseller From world-renowned biologist and primatologist Frans de Waal, a groundbreaking work on animal intelligence destined to become a classic.

¿Qué lugar ocupa nuestra especie en la naturaleza? Hace ya mucho tiempo que los científicos nos han explicado que tenemos un ancestro común con los grandes simios y que por tanto es normal que compartamos numerosos rasgos, no siempre halagüeños: el ansia de poder, la lucha por el sexo, una violenta territorialidad y una fuerte tendencia al engaño y la manipulación. Pero la fascinante -y esperanzadora- tesis del primatólogo Frans de Waal sostiene que, pese a todo, también nuestras más nobles características -la generosidad, la amabilidad, el altruismo y la solidaridad- forman parte de la naturaleza humana, pues también las hemos heredado de nuestros ancestros.Además, hallazgos recientes en neurología han demostrado que, contrariamente a lo que se venía afirmando, la toma de decisiones morales activa centros emocionales muy antiguos en el cerebro. Así, mientras que es fácil establecer un paralelo entre la brutalidad de los chimpancés y la de los humanos, Frans de Waal sugiere que los bonobos -gentiles, amantes y dotados de un sentido innato para algo muy parecido al erotismo- son un modelo igualmente bueno para analizar nuestra herencia de primates. En definitiva, una atractiva y sorprendente exploración de la moralidad humana, contemplada a través del espejo de nuestros parientes más próximos.

In Different, world-renowned primatologist Frans de Waal draws on decades of observation and studies of both human and animal behavior to argue that despite the linkage between gender and biological sex, biology does not automatically support the traditional gender roles in human societies. While humans and other primates do share some behavioral differences, biology offers no justification for existing gender inequalities.Using chimpanzees and bonobos to illustrate this point-two ape relatives that are genetically equally close to humans-de Waal challenges widely held beliefs about masculinity and femininity, and common assumptions about authority, leadership, cooperation, competition, filial bonds, and sexual behavior. Chimpanzees are male-dominated and violent, while bonobos are female-dominated and peaceful. In both species, political power needs to be distinguished from physical dominance. Power is not limited to the males, and both sexes show true leadership capacities.Different is a fresh and thought-provoking approach to the long-running debate about the balance between nature and nurture, and where sex and gender roles fit in. De Waal peppers his discussion with details from his own life-a Dutch childhood in a family of six boys, his marriage to a French woman with a different orientation toward gender, and decades of academic turf wars over outdated scientific theories that have proven hard to dislodge from public discourse. He discusses sexual orientation, gender identity, and the limitations of the gender binary, exceptions to which are also found in other primates.With humor, clarity, and compassion, Different seeks to broaden the conversation about human gender dynamics by promoting an inclusive model that embraces differences, rather than negating them.

Can virtuous behavior be explained by nature, and not by human rational choice? "e;It's the animal in us,"e; 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 "e;selfish"e; 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 "e;Veneer Theory,"e; which posits morality as a thin overlay on an otherwise nasty nature. He explains how we evolved from a long line of animals that care for the weak and build cooperation with reciprocal transactions. Drawing on Darwin, recent scientific advances, and his extensive research of primate behavior, de Waal demonstrates a strong continuity between human and animal behavior. He probes issues such as anthropomorphism and human responsibilities toward animals. His compelling account of how human morality evolved out of mammalian society will fascinate anyone who has ever wondered about the origins and reach of human goodness. Based on the Tanner Lectures de Waal delivered at Princeton University's Center for Human Values in 2004, Primates and Philosophers includes responses by the philosophers Peter Singer, Christine M. Korsgaard, and Philip Kitcher and the science writer Robert Wright. They press de Waal to clarify the differences between humans and other animals, yielding a lively debate that will fascinate all those who wonder about the origins and reach of human goodness.

'A profoundly illuminating book on humans by a great primatologist' John Gray, author of Straw Dogs

The bonobo, least known of the great apes, is a female-centered, egalitarian species that has been dubbed the 'make-love-not-war' primate by specialists. This book compares the bonobo with its better-known relative, the chimpanzee. It is suitable for those who are interested in primates, gender issues, and evolutionary psychology.