 |
16 October 2003
Dr. Bekoff will argue that we can learn much about "wild
justice" and the evolutionary origins of social morality by studying
social play behavior in group-living animals through interdisciplinary
research. Among the questions that Dr. Bekoff will address are: What are
the evolutionary roots of cooperation, fairness, trust, forgiveness, and
morality? How do animals negotiate agreements to cooperate, to forgive,
to behave fairly, to develop trust? Why did play behavior evolve? What
is the taxonomic distribution of cognitive skills and emotional capacities
necessary for individuals to be able to behave fairly, to empathize, to
behave morally? Dr. Bekoff will conclude that there is strong selection
for cooperative fair play in which individuals establish and maintain
a social contract. Further, in studying the role of play behavior in the
evolution of social morality, it is important to study a wide range of
animal behaviors and to avoid "primatocentrism.”
Keynote speaker:
- Marc Bekoff, Ph.D, Professor,
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado
Respondent
Coverage:
 Read the Summary
|
|
