On Atheists And Bonobos

Author : Howard Burton
Publisher : Open Agenda Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1771700394
Total Pages : 41 pages
Book Rating : 4.99/5 ( download)

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Download or read book On Atheists and Bonobos written by Howard Burton and published by Open Agenda Publishing. This book was released on 2020-10-01 with total page 41 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book is based on an in-depth filmed conversation between Howard Burton and primatologist Frans de Waal, Emory University, who is renowned for his work on the behaviour and social intelligence of primates. This thought-provoking conversation examines fascinating questions such as: Are we born with an innate sense of “the good”? Do we learn from others what is “wrong”? Does religion determine, or is it a result of, morality? This carefully-edited book includes an introduction, Aping Morality, and questions for discussion at the end of each chapter: I. Denying Our Inner Animal - Cartesian dogs, religious baggage and false dichotomies II. Morality and Evolution - Between chimpanzees and bonobos III. The Demise of Veneer Theory - Science discovers human cooperation and empathy IV. The Roots of Religion - A sociological approach V. Community Concern - Chimpanzee groups and Golden Rules VI. Beyond Theatrics - Reconciling science, religion and mortality VII. American Exceptionalism - Speculations on religiosity VIII. Testing Morality - Fairness, cooperation, risk-taking and more IX. Reasons for Optimism - Positive behaviour throughout the animal world X. Breaking Down Barriers - Towards species continuity About Ideas Roadshow Conversations Series This book is part of an expanding series of 100+ Ideas Roadshow conversations, each one presenting a wealth of candid insights from a leading expert in a relaxed and informal setting to give non-specialists a uniquely accessible window into frontline research and scholarship that wouldn't otherwise be encountered through standard lectures and textbooks. For other books in this series visit our website (https://ideas-on-film.com/ideasroadshow/).

Author : Henry Cabot Lodge (Jr.)
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN 13 : 0393073777
Total Pages : 313 pages
Book Rating : 4.75/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search of Humanism Among the Primates written by Henry Cabot Lodge (Jr.) and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2013-03-25 with total page 313 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Moral behavior does not begin and end with religion but is in fact a product of evolution.

Author : Frans de Waal
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN 13 : 0393089193
Total Pages : 304 pages
Book Rating : 4.96/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Bonobo and the Atheist: In Search of Humanism Among the Primates written by Frans de Waal and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2013-03-25 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In this lively and illuminating discussion of his landmark research, esteemed primatologist Frans de Waal argues that human morality is not imposed from above but instead comes from within. Moral behavior does not begin and end with religion but is in fact a product of evolution. For many years, de Waal has observed chimpanzees soothe distressed neighbors and bonobos share their food. Now he delivers fascinating fresh evidence for the seeds of ethical behavior in primate societies that further cements the case for the biological origins of human fairness. Interweaving vivid tales from the animal kingdom with thoughtful philosophical analysis, de Waal seeks a bottom-up explanation of morality that emphasizes our connection with animals. In doing so, de Waal explores for the first time the implications of his work for our understanding of modern religion. Whatever the role of religious moral imperatives, he sees it as a “Johnny-come-lately” role that emerged only as an addition to our natural instincts for cooperation and empathy. But unlike the dogmatic neo-atheist of his book’s title, de Waal does not scorn religion per se. Instead, he draws on the long tradition of humanism exemplified by the painter Hieronymus Bosch and asks reflective readers to consider these issues from a positive perspective: What role, if any, does religion play for a well-functioning society today? And where can believers and nonbelievers alike find the inspiration to lead a good life? Rich with cultural references and anecdotes of primate behavior, The Bonobo and the Atheist engagingly builds a unique argument grounded in evolutionary biology and moral philosophy. Ever a pioneering thinker, de Waal delivers a heartening and inclusive new perspective on human nature and our struggle to find purpose in our lives.

Author : Eckart Altenmüller
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 0191644897
Total Pages : 392 pages
Book Rating : 4.94/5 ( download)

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Download or read book The Evolution of Emotional Communication written by Eckart Altenmüller and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2013-01-24 with total page 392 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Why do we think that we can understand animal voices - such as the aggressive barking of a pet dog, and the longing meows of the family cat? Why do we think of deep voices as dominant and high voices as submissive. Are there universal principles governing our own communication system? Can we even see how close animals are related to us by constructing an evolutionary tree based on similarities and dissimilarities in acoustic signaling? Research on the role of emotions in acoustic communication and its evolution has often been neglected, despite its obvious role in our daily life. When we infect others with our laugh, soothe a crying baby with a lullaby, or get goose bumps listening to classical music, we are barely aware of the complex processes upon which this behavior is based. It is not facial expressions or body language that are affecting us, but sound. They are present in music and speech as "emotional prosody" and allow us to communicate not only verbally but also emotionally. This groundbreaking book presents a thorough exploration into how acoustically conveyed emotions are generated and processed in both animals and man. It is the first volume to bridge the gap between research in the acoustic communication of emotions in humans with those in animals, using a comparative approach. With the communication of emotions being an important research topic for a range of scientific fields, this book is valuable for those in the fields of animal behaviour, anthropology, evolutionary biology, human psychology, linguistics, musicology, and neurology.

Author : Malcolm Jeeves
Publisher : Templeton Foundation Press
ISBN 13 : 1599473550
Total Pages : 173 pages
Book Rating : 4.50/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Neuroscience, Psychology, and Religion written by Malcolm Jeeves and published by Templeton Foundation Press. This book was released on 2009-03-01 with total page 173 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Neuroscience, Psychology, and Religion is the second title published in the new Templeton Science and Religion Series. In this volume, Malcolm Jeeves and Warren S. Brown provide an overview of the relationship between neuroscience, psychology, and religion that is academically sophisticated, yet accessible to the general reader. The authors introduce key terms; thoroughly chart the histories of both neuroscience and psychology, with a particular focus on how these disciplines have interfaced religion through the ages; and explore contemporary approaches to both fields, reviewing how current science/religion controversies are playing out today. Throughout, they cover issues like consciousness, morality, concepts of the soul, and theories of mind. Their examination of topics like brain imaging research, evolutionary psychology, and primate studies show how recent advances in these areas can blend harmoniously with religious belief, since they offer much to our understanding of humanity's place in the world. Jeeves and Brown conclude their comprehensive and inclusive survey by providing an interdisciplinary model for shaping the ongoing dialogue. Sure to be of interest to both academics and curious intellectuals, Neuroscience, Psychology, and Religion addresses important age-old questions and demonstrates how modern scientific techniques can provide a much more nuanced range of potential answers to those questions.

Author : Robert Bowie Johnson, Jr.
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9780970543851
Total Pages : 128 pages
Book Rating : 4.59/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Sowing Atheism: The National Academy of Sciences' Sinister Scheme to Teach Our Children They're Descended from Reptiles written by Robert Bowie Johnson, Jr. and published by . This book was released on 2008-05-01 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: FROM SOWING ATHEISM: “I want to put on the table, not why 85% of the members of the National Academy of Sciences reject God, I want to know why 15% of the National Academy don’t . . . How come this number isn’t zero?” NAS Spokesman Neil deGrasse Tyson, p. 14 “The evo-atheists of the NAS cannot produce any actual evidence for the origin of life, for the emergence of the sexes, or for the evolution of one distinct kind of organism into another.” p. 16 To conceal the lack of evidence for its evo-atheism (evolutionist-atheism), the NAS resorts to repetitive false affirmations, disguised tautologies, authoritative obfuscations, baiting and switching, and smearing apostate Christian lipstick on its atheist pig—all in order to mislead and manipulate its audience. (From a press release) “The evo-atheists of the NAS attempt to disguise their true motives, but the very words and phrases they use in their book expose and defeat their own abominable purpose. They try to hide their atheism, but their associates betray them. They try to hide their lack of evidence, but their own language gives them away. They try to destroy creationism, but it emerges stronger than ever. They try to misrepresent Bible-believing Christians, but their scheme backfires. They try to use enchantment to overcome their lack of truth, but it winds up ensnaring them instead.” p. 17 “Are your kids hungry for information on the origins and purpose of humanity? Do they wonder how they got here? Fix them another bowl of evo-atheism. That’s all that’s left on the shelf.” p. 22 “Science is no longer the systematic, unbiased examination of nature. It has become the interpretation of nature through the gray lens of atheism, and the tainting of all natural phenomena with that gray stain.” p. 23 “The hierarchy of the NAS has stolen true science; they are sacrificing our children to their atheism, and at the same time, destroying our children’s faith in God.” p. 27 THE WASHINGTON POST FALSIFIES EVIDENCE FOR EVOLUTION, p. 31 A FALSE PROMISE, A TABOO, AND A THREAT KEEP THE EVO-ATHEISTS IN LINE, pp. 72-77 “You most likely had never heard of Dobzhansky or Ayala before reading this book, and yet your children must go along with their bogus philosophical presumptions or fail in science class.” p. 79 “The members of the NAS hierarchy are unable to comprehend the enormous difference between saying something is true, and proving that it is true. While such a handicap has no bearing upon their respective abilities to philosophize, it categorically disqualifies them as competent scientists.” p. 80 BY ITS OWN DEFINITION OF RELIGIOUS BELIEF, THE NAS DEMONSTRATES THAT ITS EVO-ATHEISM IS JUST THAT—RELIGIOUS BELIEF, pp. 84-85 NATURAL SELECTION, THE KEY PRINCIPLE IN EVO-ATHEISM, TURNS OUT TO BE A MYSTICAL, MIRACULOUS, AND SUPERNATURAL FIGURE OF SPEECH. p. 86 THE EVO-ATHEISTS OF THE NAS ADMIT THE REALITY OF THEIR RELIGION. p. 88 “The hysterical rantings of the NAS propagandist Paul Henle blame the decline of science education in America on the ‘unwarranted’ criticism of evo-atheism. The leaders of the NAS, with their outright contempt for free speech and free thought in the science classroom, are the true villains.” p. 108

Author : Jerry A. Coyne
Publisher : OUP Oxford
ISBN 13 : 019164384X
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.42/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Why Evolution is True written by Jerry A. Coyne and published by OUP Oxford. This book was released on 2010-01-14 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For all the discussion in the media about creationism and 'Intelligent Design', virtually nothing has been said about the evidence in question - the evidence for evolution by natural selection. Yet, as this succinct and important book shows, that evidence is vast, varied, and magnificent, and drawn from many disparate fields of science. The very latest research is uncovering a stream of evidence revealing evolution in action - from the actual observation of a species splitting into two, to new fossil discoveries, to the deciphering of the evidence stored in our genome. Why Evolution is True weaves together the many threads of modern work in genetics, palaeontology, geology, molecular biology, anatomy, and development to demonstrate the 'indelible stamp' of the processes first proposed by Darwin. It is a crisp, lucid, and accessible statement that will leave no one with an open mind in any doubt about the truth of evolution.

Author : Jonathan Tweet
Publisher : Feiwel & Friends
ISBN 13 : 1250134110
Total Pages : 40 pages
Book Rating : 4.10/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Grandmother Fish written by Jonathan Tweet and published by Feiwel & Friends. This book was released on 2016-09-06 with total page 40 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Where did we come from? It's a simple question, but not so simple an answer to explain—especially to young children. Charles Darwin's theory of common descent no longer needs to be a scientific mystery to inquisitive young readers. Meet Grandmother Fish. Told in an engaging call and response text where a child can wiggle like a fish or hoot like an ape and brought to life by vibrant artwork, Grandmother Fish takes children and adults through the history of life on our planet and explains how we are all connected. The book also includes comprehensive backmatter, including: - An elaborate illustration of the evolutionary tree of life - Helpful science notes for parents - How to explain natural selection to a child

Author : C. R. Hallpike
Publisher : John Hunt Publishing
ISBN 13 : 1785352180
Total Pages : 220 pages
Book Rating : 4.88/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Do We Need God to be Good? written by C. R. Hallpike and published by John Hunt Publishing. This book was released on 2016-01-29 with total page 220 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: To know how to live do we need God and religion, or, does religion only produce wars, hatred, intolerance and unhappiness? Does giving up God mean giving up morality, or, can we finally live a peaceful and fulfilling life as atheists by following science and reason instead? The anthropologist Christopher Hallpike has spent a lifetime's research on the morality and religion of different cultures around the world, and shows that trying to base a moral life on atheism and science actually has some very nasty surprises in store for us.

Author : Frans de Waal
Publisher : W. W. Norton & Company
ISBN 13 : 1324007117
Total Pages : 515 pages
Book Rating : 4.11/5 ( download)

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Download or read book Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist written by Frans de Waal and published by W. W. Norton & Company. This book was released on 2022-04-05 with total page 515 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: “Every new book by Frans de Waal is a cause for excitement, and this one is no different. A breath of fresh air in the cramped debate about the differences between men and women. Fascinating, nuanced, and very timely.” —Rutger Bregman, author of Humankind: A Hopeful History In Different, world-renowned primatologist Frans de Waal draws on decades of observation and studies of both human and animal behavior to argue that despite the linkage between gender and biological sex, biology does not automatically support the traditional gender roles in human societies. While humans and other primates do share some behavioral differences, biology offers no justification for existing gender inequalities. Using chimpanzees and bonobos to illustrate this point—two ape relatives that are genetically equally close to humans—de Waal challenges widely held beliefs about masculinity and femininity, and common assumptions about authority, leadership, cooperation, competition, filial bonds, and sexual behavior. Chimpanzees are male-dominated and violent, while bonobos are female-dominated and peaceful. In both species, political power needs to be distinguished from physical dominance. Power is not limited to the males, and both sexes show true leadership capacities. Different is a fresh and thought-provoking approach to the long-running debate about the balance between nature and nurture, and where sex and gender roles fit in. De Waal peppers his discussion with details from his own life—a Dutch childhood in a family of six boys, his marriage to a French woman with a different orientation toward gender, and decades of academic turf wars over outdated scientific theories that have proven hard to dislodge from public discourse. He discusses sexual orientation, gender identity, and the limitations of the gender binary, exceptions to which are also found in other primates. With humor, clarity, and compassion, Different seeks to broaden the conversation about human gender dynamics by promoting an inclusive model that embraces differences, rather than negating them.