Dutch primatologist Frans de Waal argues that altruism and moral behavior in humans also have a biological basis.
Dutch primatologist Frans de Waal is best known for discovering the bonobos – “hippie monkeys” – that are not prone to violence and resolve conflicts through sex, which are very different from their much more violent close relatives, chimpanzees, to the general public. In his new book, he demonstrates with numerous examples that sympathy and altruism are observed in chimpanzees, and in general in almost all mammals. Based on these observations, the author concludes that the roots of altruism and moral behavior in humans also have a biological basis, which means that the idea that «If there is no God, then everything is permitted» is unfounded. Nevertheless, de Waal criticizes many modern atheist propagandists for being too aggressive towards religion, arguing that it plays an important social role.
Alpina non-fiction, 384 p.