Carl Sagan & Ann Druyan talk about Saintly Macaques

A clip from a radio interview Carl Sagan and his wife, the lovely Ann Druyan, did to promote their book Shadows Of Forgotten Ancestors in 1993 or '94. In this clip they discuss how some animals, in this case macaque monkeys, showed better ethical behavior than humans.

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• Sagan
• &
• Druyan
• talk
• about
• Saintly
• Macaques

[flyingsod]

Very cool. I take this as evidence that morality may be instinctual. Those that claim that morality only comes from religion need to see this. Thanks for posting and I would love to hear the whole thing.

[vegyrex]

The whole interview is up and ready for listening ;)

I have another radio interview with Carl. I hope to get that one up soon.

[kjg28]

Thanks so much for the interview! Do you know if there is any more?

[vegyrex]

The whole interview is about 80 minutes long. I'll try to post whole thing soon. :)

[sirkamon]

Do you happen to know who they were being interviewed by?

[vegyrex]

Yes, his name is Milt Rosenberg.

[TelevisionPirate]

I think she always kept her name, and I think Carl had two wives. But she was his last love. You can tell when she brings him up in more recent interviews that she misses him dearly.

So does the world....

[jeremylhay]

@ion010101 You rarely make any sense. Human do have instincts. What makes you think we don't. And yes children are taught things in schools and in religion. That's why we need to keep religion out of schools and only teach the facts. And I never said any of this was my idea. I don't know what points you thought you were making. But you didn't move the discussion forward at all.

[jeremylhay]

Also.. I despise character limits!

[jeremylhay]

@ion010101 Well; That raises a point. But you first have to realize that it is indeed possible that morality of that sort is generally instinctual for humans as well. Which raises questions about consciousness. The difference in factor is the concept of an authority and transference of responsibility. When the humans were (and this is important) ORDERED to carry on, they did. One reason is intimidation. The other is the promise of transference of responsibility from self to the the authority.

[cyborg007ification]

@ion010101 Macaques exhibit the signs of empathy in their brain waves. This has been observed and tested.

[DoBrigh]

what does this say about the people doing these experiments?

[chinamanspeakenlis]

sub'd...good work.

[chinamanspeakenlis]

i love them both..

[Pilaf1984]

Nobody is more religious or less skeptical/secular than those in a totalitarian regime, especially the leaders. You may consider China atheist, and that may be technically true, but they're not methodological naturalists. They're not skeptics. They're not humanists. They're not rationalists.

[Christlovesanimals]

@flyingsod Do they eat dogs and cats in Turkey or the Sudan? Do they skin animals ALIVE for fur to sell around the world?

>The "we need god to give us morals" argument pops up now and then in religious debates.< And this has WHAT to do , literally, with the price of dog meat in China?

Please send me a link where they eat dogs in Turkey. I was just in Turkey five years ago and they have some of the most delicious vegetarian food I've ever tasted.

[flyingsod]

@Christlovesanimals Hi. Where did you learn that china is the cruelest country in the world? Maybe Sudan or Turkey are trying to distract attention from themselves eh? The "we need god to give us morals" argument pops up now and then in religious debates. I find it hard to believe you've never heard it if you ever watch or listen to such things. I wasn't erecting a straw man I promise you.