You should know as much as you can about the human species if you have a hand in … - Frans de Waal

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The sweet calm sunshine of October, now Warms the low spot; upon its grassy mold The pur0ple oak-leaf falls; the birchen bough drops its bright spoil like arrow-heads of gold.

Frans de Waal

You should know as much as you can about the human species if you have a hand in designing human society. I'm not saying that you can derive moral rules from nature - that's deriving an ought from an is, as the philosophers say - but you do need to know what kind of animals we are if you want to design a stable society.

Animal, Design, Hands, Moral, Say, Species

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If you are a cooperative animal, you need to watch what you get. If you, or even a whole community, invest in something but then a few individuals receive a much larger return, it's not a good arrangement. If it happens consistently, it's time to look for an arrangement that is more beneficial. That's why we're so sensitive to how rewards are being divided.

Animal, Community, Good, Happens, Return, Sensitive

Humanity is actually much more cooperative and empathic than [it's] given credit for.

Cooperative, Credit, Given, Humanity

Armies are a purely human invention. Most soldiers who go to war nowadays don't even do it because they're inherently aggressive.

Armies, Army, Invention, Purely, Soldier, War

If you want to design a successful human society, you need to know what kind of animal we are. Are we a social animal or a selfish animal? Do we respond better when we're solitary or living in a group?

Selfish, Successful, Animal, Group, Kind

I am personally not against keeping animals at zoos, as they serve a huge educational purpose, but treating them well and with respect seems the least we could do, and with 'we' I mean not just zoo staff, but most certainly also the public.

Educational, Keeping, Mean, Purpose, Treating, Zoos