Résumé
"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, primatologist Frans de Waal argues that modern-day evolutionary biology takes far too dim a view of the natural world, emphasizing our "selfish" genes. Science has thus exacerbated our reciprocal habits of blaming nature when we act badly and labeling the good things we do as "humane." 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 "Veneer Theory," 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 both Darwin and recent scientific advances, de Waal demonstrates a strong continuity between human and animal behavior. In the process, he also probes issues such as anthropomorphism and human responsibilities toward animals.
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.
L'auteur - Frans de Waal
Frans de Waal est un primatologue et biologiste que le magazine Time a inscrit sur sa liste des 100 personnalités les plus influentes. Auteur de nombreux ouvrages, parmi lesquels Sommes-nous trop "bêtes" pour comprendre l'intelligence des animaux ? (Les Liens qui libèrent, 2016), il enseigne à l'université Emory d'Atlanta et dirige le centre Yerkes de recherche sur les primates. Ses livres ont touché un large public dans de nombreux pays et fait de lui l'un des éthologues les plus célèbres au monde.
Autres livres de Frans de Waal
Sommaire
- Acknowledgments
- Introduction by Josiah Ober and Stephen Macedo
- Morally Evolved: Primate Social Instincts,Human Morality, and the Rise and Fall of "Veneer Theory" by Frans de Waal
- Comments: The Uses of Anthropomorphism by Robert Wright
- Response to Commentators: The Tower of Morality by Frans de Waal
- References
- Contributors
- Index
Caractéristiques techniques
| PAPIER | |
| Éditeur(s) | Princeton University Press |
| Auteur(s) | Frans de Waal |
| Parution | 01/10/2006 |
| Nb. de pages | 210 |
| Format | 14,5 x 22 |
| Couverture | Relié |
| Poids | 434g |
| Intérieur | Noir et Blanc |
| EAN13 | 9780691124476 |
| ISBN13 | 978-0-691-12447-6 |
Avantages Eyrolles.com
Consultez aussi
- Les meilleures ventes en Graphisme & Photo
- Les meilleures ventes en Informatique
- Les meilleures ventes en Construction
- Les meilleures ventes en Entreprise & Droit
- Les meilleures ventes en Sciences
- Les meilleures ventes en Littérature
- Les meilleures ventes en Arts & Loisirs
- Les meilleures ventes en Vie pratique
- Les meilleures ventes en Voyage et Tourisme
- Les meilleures ventes en BD et Jeunesse
