1 / 8

Primatology and Religion: Can chimps teach us anything about Religion?

Primatology and Religion: Can chimps teach us anything about Religion?. James A. Van Slyke. Humans as Primates. Humans as Primates. Share 98.5% of the same genes Hominid lineage split from chimpanzee about 6 million years ago from a common ancestor.

mindy
Download Presentation

Primatology and Religion: Can chimps teach us anything about Religion?

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Primatology and Religion: Can chimps teach us anything about Religion? James A. Van Slyke

  2. Humans as Primates

  3. Humans as Primates • Share 98.5% of the same genes • Hominid lineage split from chimpanzee about 6 million years ago from a common ancestor

  4. Can nonhuman primates really tell us anything about Religion?

  5. Evolutionary Science • Comparative psychology • Studying animal behavior as approximations of human behavior • Primatology – study of chimpanzees and apes • Similarities in adaptive behaviors

  6. Important questions for Evolution • Human Altruism is an important doctrine in many religions • If evolution is about survival of the fittest, why do people sacrifice for others? • Show Care and Concern for others • Help others in need • Willing to sacrifice one’s life for another Mother Teresa

  7. Assumptions about Evolution • “Nature red in Tooth and Claw” (Tennyson) • Common assumption about Evolution is that it is primarily about competition and violence • Non human Primates demonstrateother factors in the social lives of chimpanzees • Not all aspects are competitive and violent

  8. ChimpanzeeBehavior • Attachment

More Related