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I describe in 'Chimpanzee Politics' how the alpha male needs broad support to reach the top spot. He needs some close allies and he needs many group members to be on his side.

Frans de Waal

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Frans de Waal
Age: 76
Born: 1948
Born: October 29
Ethologist
Non-Fiction Writer
Primatologist
Psychologist
University Teacher
Zoologist
Den Bosch
Frans B M de Waal
Frans B. M. de Waal
F. de Waal
Side
Spots
Alphas
Sides
Male
Alpha
Support
Males
Chimpanzees
Politics
Group
Broads
Many
Reach
Broad
Needs
Members
Spot
Close
Allies
Groups
Describe
Chimpanzee

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The chimpanzees could tear me apart in no time. They're many times stronger than we are.
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I think we need to start thinking about grounding our moral systems in our biology.
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It is well known that apes in the wild offer spontaneous assistance to each other, defending against leopards, say, or consoling distressed companions with tender embraces.
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The role of inequity in society is grossly underestimated. Inequity is not good for your health, basically.
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Armies are a purely human invention. Most soldiers who go to war nowadays don't even do it because they're inherently aggressive.
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When we are bad, we are worse than any primate that I know. And when we are good, we are actually better and more altruistic than any primate that I know.
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The primate laugh is given in playful contexts, and as such has a strong similarity to the human laugh.
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If we look straight and deep into a chimpanzee's eyes, an intelligent self-assured personality looks back at us. If they are animals, what must we be?
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It wasn't God who introduced us to morality rather, it was the other way around. God was put into place to help us live the way we felt we ought to.
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You should know as much as you can about the human species if you have a hand in designing human society.
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After World War II it was decided that, in order to prevent the Germans and the French from having another war, it would be better to tie them together into one economic pact so they would invest in each other and have mutual stakes. Until now, that has worked to prevent warfare between the two.
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