Emory Report homepage  

October 1, 2007
De Waal to discuss what we can learn from primates

By jessica gearing

Frans de Waal will kick off the Life of the Mind lecture series, discussing the subject of his book “Our Inner Ape: What Primate Behavior Teaches Us About Human Nature” on Wednesday, Oct. 3 at noon in the Jones Room, Woodruff Library.

De Waal is a C. H. Candler Professor of Psychology and director of the Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. His interests include food-sharing, social reciprocity and conflict-resolution in primates as well as the origins of morality and justice in human society. In May, Time magazine named de Waal as one of its Top 100 People Who Shape Our World.

“‘Our Inner Ape’ focuses on human behavior by using the bonobo and chimp as two provocative metaphors for ourselves and our evolutionary ancestry. Through these metaphors we are able to see vivid mirror images of ourselves. Our Inner Ape also explores to what degree we can design human society to reinforce and encourage the most valued aspects of our nature,” de Waal said.

For more information, visit www.emory.edu/PROVOST/docs/global/lifeofthemind.pdf.

TOP