Nonhuman animals ethics
From EvoWiki
Nonhuman animals ethics contribute to an explanation of the origins of human ethics. Because we have no historical record of a human society before it had any standard of right and wrong, it's difficult to explain the origins of morality. Knowing that human beings are social animals, the origins of morality can be explained by the social behaviour of nonhumans animals through the evolutionary theory.
Altruism : Kinship and reciprocity
Research in evolutionary theory applied to social behaviour shows that evolution of some species may favor altruism. Some of this altruistic behaviour is explained by kin selection. A common example is parents making a sacrifice for their offspring. In this case, the genetic characteristics, including the characteristic of helping their own cubs, will spread through further generations.
When apparent altruism is not between kin, it may be based on reciprocity. A monkey will present its back to another monkey, who will pick out parasites; after a time the roles will be reversed. Such reciprocity will pay off, in evolutionary terms, as long as the costs of helping are less than the benefits of being helped and as long as animals will not gain in the long run by “cheating��? - that is to say, by receiving favours without returning them.
Examples of nonhuman animals ethics
- Dolphins support sick or injured animals, swimming under them for hours at a time and pushing them to the surface so they can breathe,
- Wolves and wild dogs bring meat back to members of the pack not present at the kill,
- Male baboons threaten predators and cover the rear as the troop retreats,
- Gibbons and chimpanzees with food will, in response to a gesture, share their food with others of the group.
