Good Natured De Waals Summary

Anthropology 205
5 April 2012
The Evolution of Morality De Waal, author of Good Natured, is one of the most foremost proponents of debate over the evolution of morality. He is a famous primatologist and ethologist who bases his opinions partially on Darwinism and partially on his own personal viewing of primates. According to De Waal, morality comes from two separate sources. De Waal’s theory of morality rests upon the observations of primate behaviors of empathy and sympathy, the selection of kin, reciprocal altruism with regards to fairness, and the simple ability to get along, in conjunction with the idea that one part of our human morality is biological and one part is a result of cultural development.
If the idea of a moral code
In order to fully understand it, one must take into consideration the fact that there may be other entities that practice or abide by the same moral code. De Waal is famous for stating that “By limiting the concept of morality to the form that is able to be practiced by human beings, we are limiting our understanding of what made us moral in the first place” (4).
The “building blocks of morality” encompass many different characteristics that even primates demonstrate. The ones that are most obviously identifiable in animal behavior are empathy, the selection of kin, reciprocal altruism, demonstrations of fairness, and even their need to resolve conflict. These are all human traits that can undoubtedly be recognized outside of the human spectrum at an undeniable level. This is where de Waal’s theory comes in. His evolution of morality stands on the idea of primates also exemplifying human
The selection of kin is also seen in primate life. Maternal instincts are strong, and a father is often seen as the head of his family. De Waal writes: “Attached with an emotional umbilical cord to her offspring, the primate mother is never free” (122). The community also institutes multiple ideas of rank and order within their tribes as well. The story of Socko stealing alpha male Jimoh’s choice female and suffering wrath for it is a prime example.
Reciprocal altruism can arguably be the most obvious way in which primates demonstrate a code of morality. This is simply the idea of a Golden Rule. Often times, cultural expectations are tied to what one person (or in this case primate) will do with the expectation that they will ultimately receive the same treatment. Many societies base their entire code of ethics around this simple truth, so it is impossible that chimpanzees do this without knowing. Fairness is another trait that de Waal rests his theory upon when it comes to what he has observed in the world of primates. He claims that as a community they share food, take revenge, and even executively hand out justice. There are ranks and rules that need to be