Name: Moral behavior in animals
Uploaded: 2012-04-10T15:10:42Z
Duration: 16 min 33 s
Description: What happens when two monkeys are paid unequally? Fairness, reciprocity, empathy, cooperation -- caring about the well-being of others seems like a very human trait. But Frans de Waal shares some surprising videos of behavioral tests, on primates and other mammals, that show how many of these moral traits all of us share.

What happens when two monkeys are paid unequally? Fairness, reciprocity, empathy, cooperation -- caring about the well-being of others seems like a very human trait. But Frans de Waal shares some surprising videos of behavioral tests, on primates and other mammals, that show how many of these moral traits all of us share.

Moral behavior in animals

Morality is not exclusive to humans; animals like chimpanzees and elephants display fairness, empathy, and cooperation. In one vivid experiment, a monkey rejects cucumber when her peer receives a tastier grape, protesting unequal treatment. These behaviors show that core moral pillars such as reciprocity and compassion are rooted in nature. Animal studies challenge the idea that morality arises only from complex culture or religion.