Bonobos and origin of morality

MORALITY is the glue which binds society together. Without each individual’s sense of fair play, empathy and abhorrence of unnecessary violence, we could never co-operate. But when and how did these propensities develop?

Two papers just published throw light on this intriguing subject. One concerns the behaviour of human babies, the other looks at the social interactions of chimpanzees.

The 17th century philosopher John Locke argued that the mind of the newborn is a ‘tabula rasa’, a blank slate.