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Frans de Waal

Frans de Waal Quotes

Primatologist

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Famous Frans de Waal Quotes

“You should know as much as you can about the human species if you have a hand in designing human society. Of course, I'm not saying that you can derive moral rules from nature - that's deriving an ought from an is, as the philosophers say - but you do need to know what kind of animals we are if you want to design a stable society.”

IfsKnowsWantNeedsShouldHumansKindHandsAnimalMoralDesignOughtSpeciesPhilosopherStableHuman SocietyHuman Species
Author:Frans de Waal
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“If you are a cooperative animal you need to watch what you get. If you, or even a whole community, invest in something but then a few individuals receive a much larger return, it's not a good arrangement. If it happens consistently, it's time to look for an arrangement that is more beneficial. That's why we're so sensitive to how rewards are being divided.”

IfsNeedsLooksWholeHappensIndividualCommunityAnimalWatchesReturnRewardsSensitiveDividedConsistentlyArrangementsBeneficialCooperatives
Author:Frans de Waal
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“I sometimes try to imagine what would have happened if we’d known the bonobo first and the chimpanzee only later—or not at all. The discussion about human evolution might not revolve as much around violence, warfare and male dominance, but rather around sexuality, empathy, caring and cooperation. What a different intellectual landscape we would occupy!”

IfsTryingFirstsHumansDifferentSometimesMightKnownImagineViolenceHappenedEvolutionIntellectualEmpathyMalesCaringSexualityLandscapeDiscussionCooperationWarfareDominanceChimpanzeesHuman EvolutionBonobosMale Dominance
Book:Our Inner Ape: A Leading Primatologist Explains Why We Are Who We Are
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“It is not only visitors to the zoo who are fascinated but uneasy in the presence of chimpanzees; the same is true of scientists. The more they learn about these great apes, the deeper our identity crisis seems to become. The resemblance between humans and chimpanzees is not only external. If we look straight and deep into a chimpanzee’s eyes, an intelligent, self-assured personality looks back at us. If they are animals, what must we be?”

IfsHumansLooksSelfSeemsEyeAnimalIdentityPersonalityScientistIntelligentCrisisDeeperFascinatedAssuredApesVisitorsZoosUneasyResemblanceChimpanzeesIdentity Crisis
Book:Chimpanzee Politics: Power and Sex Among Apes
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