de Vaal Frans

Frans Bernardus Maria "Frans" de Waal is a Dutch primatologist and ethologist, and holds a doctorate in philosophy. He is Professor of Primate Behavior in the Department of Psychology at Emory University in Atlanta, USA. He is director of the Living Links Center at the Yerkes National Primate Research Center. He is a member of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. He is the author of a number of popular science books.

In 1977, Frans de Waal received a PhD in biology from Utrecht University. In 1997, he was included in Time magazine’s list of the one hundred most influential people in the world. In 2009, he was awarded an honorary doctorate by the University for Humanism (Utrecht).

In his primate research, the scientist analyzes a complex system of social relations, including the formation of mating bonds, reciprocity-based exchange, reconciliation following aggression, deceptive communication, and responses to environmentally induced stress.

The popular science book Chimpanzee Politics was published in London in 1982. In it, de Waal rejects the traditional academic requirement not to attribute human qualities to animals, and rejects analyzing animals as an “instinctive machine.” This approach influenced the development of the scientific field studying the cognitive abilities of primates in connection with behavioral traits such as cooperation, altruism, and fairness.

In the Dutch scientist’s research, primate behavior was for the first time considered in terms of deliberate social strategies. His early works analyzed such behavioral strategies as deception and conflict resolution. His later research emphasizes animal empathy and even the rudiments of morality in them. De Waal argues that there are no clear boundaries between humans and apes in terms of social qualities and the capacities for empathy and cooperation.