Guest Blogger

In Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search of Humanism Among the Primates the author, biologist Frans De Waal, explores the evolutionary evidence, studying primate behavior in particular, of morality.  He argues both against a religious orthodoxy and its neo-atheism counterpart, to embrace a view of human morality that is innate within our genetic make-up.  Emotional attachment, from dogs that learn how to fight by playing, to a childs' and bonobes' sense of what's 'fair,' plays a large role in the development of moral standards.  He argues that what separates us from our primate cousins isn't genetics or morality, but our ability to think in abstractions and to apply those abstractions not only to our own behavior, but to others around us.  The book is well-written and organized.  I definitely will be adding it to my bookshelf!  Five stars.  Anonymous.