> Morality did not occur in humans spontaneously. It must have had animal precedents. Ethologists such as Frans de Waal have discovered that some mammals, particularly monkeys and apes, show a rudimentary sense of fairness and inequity aversion
We share the house with several cats. And an old labrador.
One of the cats in particular appears to have a highly developed idea of fairness. She will get up and nonviolently intervene if she perceives someone getting too much of a rough deal. This can be inter-cat disputes or it may be labrador exuberance getting someone trod on or being hit by a wagging tail.
The thing is, she doesn't play favorites, not even with Julius the Lab who is otherwise the all conuming love of her life. The offending party gets told of, and generally listens.
The other thing is, she is nearly always completely in line with my own judgement on the given case. And appears to understand our commonality of thinking: She has on more than one occasion actively solicited my assitance if the ongoing confrontation has been a bit too loud and boisterous for her to tackle alone. Afterwards, I will unfailingly be treated to a short acknowledgment snuggle as thanks for the help.
I probably wouldn't believe this story if I heard it from someone else, and of course I've never managed to get anything on video. But it's real and absolutely amazing to watch.
We share the house with several cats. And an old labrador. One of the cats in particular appears to have a highly developed idea of fairness. She will get up and nonviolently intervene if she perceives someone getting too much of a rough deal. This can be inter-cat disputes or it may be labrador exuberance getting someone trod on or being hit by a wagging tail. The thing is, she doesn't play favorites, not even with Julius the Lab who is otherwise the all conuming love of her life. The offending party gets told of, and generally listens. The other thing is, she is nearly always completely in line with my own judgement on the given case. And appears to understand our commonality of thinking: She has on more than one occasion actively solicited my assitance if the ongoing confrontation has been a bit too loud and boisterous for her to tackle alone. Afterwards, I will unfailingly be treated to a short acknowledgment snuggle as thanks for the help. I probably wouldn't believe this story if I heard it from someone else, and of course I've never managed to get anything on video. But it's real and absolutely amazing to watch.