Morality Without Religion: Empathy, Fairness, and Prosocial Primates

This roundtable session features a discussion of Frans de Waal's Work on the theme of the development of "moral" practices outside of religion. Dr. Frans B. M. de Waal is one of the world’s leading primatologists, known for his work on the behavior and social intelligence of primates. His book, The Bonobo and the Atheist, examines the origins and evolution of morality and the role of religion in human society. He is C. H. Candler Professor in the Psychology Department of Emory University and Director of the Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Center, in Atlanta. He has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (US), the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the Royal Dutch Academy of Sciences. In 2007, he was selected by Time as one of The Worlds’ 100 Most Influential People Today, and in 2011 by Discover as among 47 (all time) Great Minds of Science. Panelists: Frans de Waal, Emory University Sarah Brosnan, Georgia State University Edward Slingerland. University of British Columbia Robert N. McCauley, Emory University Azim Shariff, University of Oregon Dimitris Xygalatas, University of Connecticut, Presiding This roundtable session was recorded at the 2015 Annual Meeting of the American Academy of Religion on Saturday, November 21 in Atlanta, GA.