Learning From Chimpanzees: What Do They Tell Us About Human Nature?

Chimpanzees, our closest living relatives, captivate both researchers and the public alike. Their complex social structures and emotional lives offer valuable insights into human nature.

I have been fascinated by Chimpanzees, and their behaviour, for many years. That they share 98.8% of our DNA, and together with Bonobos are our closest relatives, makes them fascinating to study; they tell us much about ourselves, yet there are important differences.

Dr. Jane Goodall, a pioneering Primatologist, who sadly passed away recently, spent decades studying these remarkable creatures, uncovering facts that challenge our understanding of what it means to be human.

This post explores the lessons we can learn from chimpanzee behaviour, the consequences of the Gombe Chimpanzee War (no, that is not a typo, and yes, they do fight wars!), and how Logotherapy (a form of Psychotherapy) recognises that although we share the 'good' and 'bad' duality with our primate cousins, our insight and overall intelligence is greater. For example, the human brain is significantly larger relative to body size, with a more developed cerebral cortex, which is crucial for complex thought, memory, and awareness. Those differences matter.

The similarities remind us that we are very much part of the wider world, inextricably linked to our environment, and those other species that share it with us. However, we humans, as a result of our evolutionary journey, have a greater responsibility to bear - to make the right decisions - than our nearest cousins do. Our responsibleness, the importance of meaning in our lives, and how we make complex choices, are what set us apart.

The Wisdom of Chimpanzee Behaviour

Chimpanzees display a variety of behaviours that reflect deep emotions and social interactions—similar to humans. For example, mother chimpanzees tenderly care for their young, not only feeding them but also teaching them crucial survival skills, including how to interact with others. Goodall's observations reveal emotions such as joy, grief, and jealousy in chimpanzees, indicating these feelings are not exclusive to humans.

The social structures within chimpanzee communities are intricate, featuring hierarchies and bonds that resemble those found in human societies. Grooming is a perfect example. This behaviour not only maintains hygiene but strengthens friendships and promotes cooperation. Research indicates that chimpanzees spend about 20% of their waking hours grooming one another, underscoring its importance in creating a cohesive community.

By examining how chimpanzees navigate conflicts or form friendships, we can draw parallels to our own social lives. Recognising the motivations driving our interactions can shed light on our own behaviours and relationships.

Jane Goodall on the Evolution of Human Behaviour

Goodall’s insights invite us to rethink our place, not just in the animal kingdom, but across the natural world. By understanding the emotional and social complexities of chimpanzees, we are prompted to reflect on our moral responsibility towards other living beings.

One of the most revealing events in Goodall's research was the Gombe Chimpanzee War during the 1970s. This conflict, marked by territorial aggression and violence, brought to light the more troubling aspects of chimpanzee behaviour, raising questions about aggression itself in both chimpanzees and by extension, humans.

The war began when the Kasakela community encroached on the territory of the neighbouring Kahama community. Over several years, this conflict escalated, resulting in confrontations that led to the deaths of at least 10 individuals. This behaviour starkly contrasts with the nurturing aspects that were hitherto typically associated with chimpanzees.

The Gombe Chimpanzee War serves as a reminder of the dual nature of existence—both compassion and violence coexist within these animals. This duality mirrors human behaviour, where people have the capacity to altruistically, but also aggressively. Understanding the motivations behind these behaviours in chimpanzees can illuminate the roots of conflict in human societies.

Logotherapy And The Choices We Face

Logotherapy, an approach developed by Viktor Frankl, stresses the importance of finding meaning in life's circumstances, even amid suffering. This perspective can provide insights into how and why we make specific choices, prompting us to reflect on our values and morals.

At its core, Logotherapy posits that we are responsible for how we respond to life's challenges. In one sense, we are similar to Chimpanzees, constantly choosing between cooperation and aggression.

Logotherapy encourages us human individuals to seek purpose and meaning in our actions; we are very much 'deciding beings', far beyond the capacity of our primate cousins. For example, we retain the ability to make a stand against our circumstances, to choose our own way, the right way. Our inner freedom allows us to constantly change our attitude towards unalterable circumstances.

With the ability to self-transcend, that is to reach out to others, but also to be aware of our place in the world, our inter-connectedness, and the unique responsibility we have as stewards of the natural world, is crucial.

Understanding our motivations is important too, as is listening to the evolutionary echo that emanates from our closest cousins.

The work of scientists like Jane Goodall should encourage us to reflect on who we are and what we are - to be open to understanding ourselves in different ways. She famously said, "What makes us human, I think, is an ability to ask questions, a consequence of our sophisticated spoken language".

We must always be open to asking questions and to find meaning in the answers. Perhaps the most impactful decision we are all called to make is encapsulated in Goodall's observation that, “What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make,”

Final Thoughts

Studying chimpanzee behaviour provides deep insights into human nature, revealing how intertwined our species are. Through Jane Goodall's research, we develop a richer understanding of the emotional and social complexities that define both chimpanzees and humans. The Gombe Chimpanzee War starkly illustrates the commonality between Chimpanzees and humans, primarily the duality of our behaviour, but it also highlights the significant differences.

I contend that Logotherapy offers a lens through which we can comprehend our uniquely human moral choices, and that those choices, and the values that underpin them, shape our collective future.

Violence is not an inevitable outcome in human nature, and our propensity to engage in it is not the work of our 'inner chimp', rather it is the outcome of our failure to consider others and the responsibility we have towards them.

Goodall's work makes it clear that a more empathetic and harmonious world starts right here, with us. Frankl's insight reflects that premise, whilst also providing a philosophy and framework against which we can find meaning in our existence, and in-so-doing make more compassionate decisions.

Those insights are profoundly hopeful.