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The Bonobo and the Atheist In Search of Humanism Among the Primates
Frans de Waal
W. W. Norton & Company, First edition, 2013 ISBN: 978-0-393-07377-5 |
If you are in the market for a book that deals with morality minus the provocative anti-religious rhetoric, then look no further. The author is not a religious apologist though, and he ultimately explains why morality and religion need not be wedded. He simply does it in less strident terms than the more “notorious” atheists like Richard Dawkins or Sam Harris. Using examples of animal behavior, mainly primates (whom the author has extensively studied), we see how it is reasonable to hypothesize that morality, at least in a basic sense, is hardwired in the brain. This idea allows the author to propose that perhaps humans should be seen as inherently moral from birth, and that religion is simply a cultural add-on. In a nutshell, he argues that morality develops in a bottom-up fashion (biology engenders religion) rather than top-to-bottom (religion guides behavior). Regardless of what the reader believes coming into this book there is plenty of food for thought to be had here. If not enthused by the intersection of biology and morality, this book still offers more to munch on, such as the not so subtle differences between chimpanzees and bonobos, or why the author finds Bosch and his surrealist art so fascinating. To boot, you get to enjoy drawings made by the author himself to complement the text. I thoroughly enjoyed this book as it ultimately reminded me how knowing more about the natural world always helps us understand more about ourselves as a species.
