“The only thing that separates us from the brute, with which we have so much in common, is the ability to distinguish between right and wrong.” ~ Gandhi, Mahatma vol. 4, 158 And, we might add, the ability to choose between them once distinguished. Not that we always find it easy to exercise that critical… read more
Tag Archives: frans de waal
Truly Human: Daily Metta
“Fortunately for humanity non-violence pervades human life and is observed by men [and women] without special effort. If we had not borne with one another, mankind would have been destroyed long ago Ahimsa would thus appear to be the law of life, but we are thus far not entitled to any credit for observing it.”… read more
Nature, nurture and nonviolence: Daily Metta
In today’s Daily Metta video, Michael continues onward in Search for a Nonviolent Future on the question of nature vs. nurture within the broader context of the history and science of nonviolence. Please add your comments below. About Daily Metta Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched Daily Metta in 2015 as a… read more
Awakening Compassion: Daily Metta
Here Michael cites the discovery by Rachel MacNair of what she calls ‘Perpetration-Induced Traumatic Stress’–the fact that as the Buddha and the others often said, when we injure another, we feel that injury ourselves, a fact for which there is now scientific proof. Michael emphasizes how the nonviolent actor can awaken awareness of this reflection… read more
Innate Non-Aggression: Daily Metta
Innately Nonviolent Frans de Waal’s findings on rhesus monkeys give us some surprising take-aways about the ways that nonviolence shows up in the animal kingdom. Watch the short video for Michael Nagler’s re-framing of the “innate aggression” theory. About Daily Metta Stephanie Van Hook, the Metta Center’s executive director, launched Daily Metta in 2015 as… read more
“Frans de Waal and Animal Behavior”–Podcast
We cite his work all of the time at Metta, and this week we were honored to have the distinguished ethologist, biologist, Prof. Frans de Waal join our show to discuss some of his really fascinating research into animal behavior, specifically around reconciliation, conflict resolution, empathy, rituals…and even death! A very enjoyable discussion. His interview… read more
Moral behavior in animals–Frans de Waal
At the Metta Center one of our favorite scientists is, without a doubt, Prof. Frans de Waal. In the short video in this post, he offers some preliminary evidence to make the case for “morality from below,” that is, human beings have not “invented” justice, fairness, cooperation and forgiveness as ideas and concepts, rather, they… read more
