We have long attributed man's violent, aggressive, competitive nature to his animal ancestry. But what if we are just as given to cooperation, empathy, and morality by virtue of our genes? This work looks at the most provocative aspects of human nature - p

Morality is often defined in opposition to the natural "instincts," or as a tool to keep those instincts in check. New findings in neuroscience, social psychology, animal behavior, and anthropology have brought us back to the original Darwinian position that moral behavior is continuous with the social behavior of animals, and most likely evolved to enhance the cooperativeness of society. In this view, morality is part of human nature rather than its opposite. This interdisciplinary volume debates the origin and working of human morality within the context of science as well as religion and...

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...

'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.' Observer BY 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 Times Empathy holds us together. That we are hardwired to be altruistic is the...

THE NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLLER In this groundbreaking and entertaining book, primatologist Frans de Waal (author of Are We Smart Enough To Know How Smart Animals Are?) draws on his renowned studies of the social and emotional lives of chimpanzees, bonobos and other primates, and personal encounters with many other species, to illuminate new ideas and findings about animal emotions.

Mámino poslední objetí začíná smrtí Mámy, šimpanzí matriarchy, která si utvořila silné pouto s biologem Janem van Hooffem. Když Máma umírala, van Hooff učinil neobvyklé gesto a navštívil ji v její noční kleci, aby se mohli naposledy obejmout. Příběh Mámy tvoří jádro de Waalova přesvědčení, že lidé nejsou jediným druhem se schopností pociťovat lásku, nenávist, strach, zahanbení, vinu, radost, znechucení či empatii.
De Waal zde probírá výrazy obličeje, emoce bublající pod povrchem a samozřejmě i život a smrt Mámy. Díky knize Mámino...

Knihou Odlišní světoznámý odborník na primáty Frans de Waal přispívá k dlouhotrvající debatě o vlivu přírody a výchovy. Vychází z desítek let pozorování a studia lidského i zvířecího chování a přináší ohromující poznatky o tom, jakou roli zde hraje biologické pohlaví a jakou gender.
Dokazuje, že přestože jsou biologické pohlaví a gender provázané a lidé s ostatními primáty sdílejí některé pohlavní rozdíly v chování, biologie nenabízí žádné ospravedlnění pro stávající genderovou nerovnost.
Kniha vyniká svěžím a...