Lecture Summary: Morality and Its Roots in Nature

Introduction

• Speaker's background: Born in Den Bosch, named after painter Hieronymus Bosch.
• Interest in Hieronymus Bosch, 15th-century painter, and his work, particularly "The Garden of Earthly Delights."
• Explores the notion of morality in a society with less religious influence.

Early Research

• Personal anecdote: Visit to a zoological garden in Arnhem with chimpanzees.
• Initial focus on aggression and competition in animal behavior.
• Notion that animals, including humans, are fundamentally competitive and self-serving.

Discovery of Cooperation and Reconciliation

• Observed chimpanzees reconciling after fights.
• Contradicts the aggressive nature argument:
  • Example: Two male chimpanzees fighting, then reconciling with gestures of affection.
• Comparison to bonobos, who use sex to reconcile.

Shift in Understanding Animal Behavior

• Reevaluation of the portrayal of animals in political science and philosophy.
• Misrepresentation of humanity's nature as solely aggressive—humans are actually more cooperative and empathetic.

Pillars of Morality

• Identified two main pillars of morality:
  1. Reciprocity: Sense of justice and fairness.
  2. Empathy: Compassion and understanding of others’ feelings.
• Importance of these pillars in understanding both human and animal morality.

Examples of Cooperation in Animals

• Historical experiments at Yerkes Primate Center demonstrating cooperation in chimpanzees.
• Description of a specific experiment:
  • Two chimpanzees working together to pull in a heavy box with food.
  • Insights into understanding cooperation and reciprocal relationships.
• Experiment with elephants indicating their understanding of cooperation.

Empathy Research

• Two aspects of empathy:
  • Understanding: Sharing feelings with another.
  • Emotional: Body channel vs. cognitive channel.
• Study of yawn contagion as a measure of empathy in animals and humans.
• Examples of consolation behavior in chimpanzees.

Altruism and Fairness in Chimpanzees

• Research on whether chimpanzees care about the welfare of others.
• Experiment showing preference for pro-social tokens among chimpanzees, indicating concern for peers’ welfare.
• Fairness study involving capuchin monkeys demonstrating awareness of inequity and fairness.

Conclusion

• Evolved morality extends beyond traditional views.
• Morality includes empathy, pro-social tendencies, reciprocity, and fairness—shared traits with other primates.
• Suggests possibility of evolving morality without reliance on divine or religious frameworks.
• Encourages rethinking of philosophical views on morality based on animal behavior research.

Acknowledgments

• Thanks audience for attention.