你知道嗎?人類不是唯一能夠體驗(yàn)復(fù)雜情感和擁有道德觀的物種哦。研究動(dòng)物行為的科學(xué)家稱,越來(lái)越多的證據(jù)表明,從老鼠到靈長(zhǎng)目動(dòng)物,它們的行為與人類一樣都受到道德準(zhǔn)則的約束。讓我們來(lái)認(rèn)識(shí)一下這些動(dòng)物吧!?
By Richard Gray
穆陽(yáng) 選 胡曉凱 譯
Until recently, humans were thought to be the only species to experience complex emotions and have a sense of morality. But Prof Marc Bekoff, an ecologist at University of Colorado, Boulder, believes that morals are “hard-wired” into the brains of all mammals and provide the “social glue” that allow often aggressive and competitive animals to live together in groups. He has compiled evidence from around the world that shows how different species of animals appear to have an innate sense of fairness, display empathy and help other animals that are in distress. Prof Bekoff, who presents his case in a new book Wild Justice, said: “The belief that humans have morality and animals don’t is a long-standing assumption, but there is a growing amount of evidence that is showing us that this simply cannot be the case.” WOLVES Wolves live in tight-knit social groups that are regulated by strict rules. If a pack grows too large, members are not able to bond closely enough and the pack disintegrates. Wolves also demonstrate fairness. During play, dominant wolves will “handicap” themselves by engaging in role reversal with lower ranking wolves, showing submission and allowing them to bite, provided it is not too hard. Prof Bekoff argues that without a moral code governing their actions, this kind of behaviour would not be possible. If an animal bites too hard, it will initiate a “play bow” to ask forgiveness before play resumes. ELEPHANTS Elephants are intensely sociable and emotional animals. Research by Iain Douglas Hamilton, from the department of zoology at Oxford University, suggests elephants experience compassion and has found evidence of elephants helping injured or ill members of their herd. In one case, a Matriarch known as Eleanor fell ill and a female in the herd gently tried to help Eleanor back to her feet, staying with her before she died. In 2003, a herd of 11 elephants rescued antelope who were being held inside an enclosure in KwaZula-Natal, South Africa. The matriarch unfastened all of the metal latches holding the gates closed and swung the entrance open allowing the antelope to escape. This is thought to be a rare example of animals showing empathy for members of another species—a trait previously thought to be the exclusive preserve of mankind. DIANA MONKEYS A laboratory experiment trained Diana monkeys to insert a token into a slot to obtain food. A male who had grown to be adept at the task was found to be helping the oldest female who had not been able to learn how to insert the token. On three occasions the male monkey picked up tokens she dropped and inserted them into the slot and allowed her to have the food. As there was no benefit for the male monkey, Prof Bekoff argues that this is a clear example of an animal’s actions being driven by some internal moral compass. CHIMPANZEES Known to be among the most cognitively advanced of the great apes and our closest cousin, it is perhaps not surprising that scientists should suggest they live by moral codes. A chimpanzee known as Knuckles—from the Centre for Great Apes in Florida—is the only known captive chimpanzee to suffer from cerebral palsy, which leaves him physically and mentally handicapped. Scientists have found that other chimpanzees in his group treat him differently and he is rarely subjected to intimidating displays of aggression from older males. Chimpanzees also demonstrate a sense of justice and those who deviate from the code of conduct of a group are set upon by other members as punishment. BATS Vampire bats need to drink blood every night but it is common for some not to find any food. Those who are successful in foraging for blood will share their meal with bats who are not successful. They are more likely to share with bats who had previously shared with them. Prof Bekoff believes this reciprocity is a result of a sense of affiliation that binds groups of animals together.
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直到最近,人類還被認(rèn)為是唯一能夠體驗(yàn)復(fù)雜情感和擁有道德觀的物種。 但是博爾德科羅拉多州大學(xué)的生態(tài)學(xué)家馬克?別可夫教授認(rèn)為,道德規(guī)范“硬性接入”所有哺乳動(dòng)物的大腦中,提供了一種“社交粘合力”,使得那些好斗成性和好競(jìng)爭(zhēng)的動(dòng)物可以在群體中和平共處。 他從全世界收集的證據(jù)顯示,不同種類的動(dòng)物似乎都有一種內(nèi)在的公平意識(shí),表現(xiàn)出同情,幫助其他處于困境中的動(dòng)物。 別可夫教授在新書《野外正義》中表明了自己的觀點(diǎn),他說(shuō):“認(rèn)為人類有道德觀而動(dòng)物沒(méi)有,這是一個(gè)長(zhǎng)期存在的誤解。但現(xiàn)在有越來(lái)越多的證據(jù)告訴我們,事實(shí)并非如此。”
狼 狼生活在一個(gè)組織嚴(yán)密的社會(huì)團(tuán)體中,受到嚴(yán)格規(guī)則的約束。如果一個(gè)狼群過(guò)度擴(kuò)張,成員之間的聯(lián)系便不夠緊密,狼群就會(huì)解體。狼群也會(huì)表現(xiàn)出公平性。 在嬉戲中,頭狼會(huì)與等級(jí)較低的狼進(jìn)行角色交換,造成自我“妨礙”,順從地讓它們咬自己,當(dāng)然前提是咬得不狠。 別可夫教授認(rèn)為,如果沒(méi)有一套道德準(zhǔn)則來(lái)約束它們,這種行為是不可能發(fā)生的。如果一個(gè)動(dòng)物咬得太狠,它就要主動(dòng)“鞠躬”來(lái)請(qǐng)求原諒,之后再繼續(xù)游戲。
大象 大象這種動(dòng)物非常喜歡群居,而且易動(dòng)感情。牛津大學(xué)動(dòng)物學(xué)系的伊恩?道格拉斯?漢密爾頓研究發(fā)現(xiàn)大象可以感受同情,另外還發(fā)現(xiàn)了證據(jù)顯示,大象會(huì)幫助象群中受傷或生病的成員。 有一次,一頭名為埃莉諾的母象病倒了,象群里的一頭母象溫柔地幫助埃莉諾站起來(lái),并一直呆在她身旁直到埃莉諾離世。 2003年,一個(gè)由11頭大象組成的象群救了一只困在位于南非夸祖拉—納塔爾省一個(gè)圍場(chǎng)內(nèi)的羚羊。母象頭領(lǐng)打開(kāi)圍欄門上所有的金屬插銷,打開(kāi)入口,讓羚羊逃走。 這被認(rèn)為是動(dòng)物對(duì)其他物種的成員表現(xiàn)出同情的一起罕見(jiàn)例子——以前這個(gè)特性被認(rèn)為是只有人類才具有的。
黛安娜長(zhǎng)尾猴 某實(shí)驗(yàn)室訓(xùn)練黛安娜長(zhǎng)尾猴將一枚代幣放進(jìn)投幣口以獲取食物。 一個(gè)動(dòng)作熟練的公猴被發(fā)現(xiàn)會(huì)去幫助沒(méi)有學(xué)會(huì)投幣的一只最老的母猴。這只公猴三次撿起她掉下的代幣,把它們?nèi)M(jìn)投幣口,使她能夠獲取食物。 由于這樣做對(duì)公猴沒(méi)有任何好處,別可夫教授認(rèn)為,這是動(dòng)物行為受到某種內(nèi)在道德指針導(dǎo)引的一個(gè)明顯例子。
黑猩猩 黑猩猩被認(rèn)為是猿類中認(rèn)知最發(fā)達(dá),也是與人類親緣關(guān)系最近的,科學(xué)家們表示,它們的生活是遵循一套道德規(guī)范的,這一點(diǎn)也許并不會(huì)令人驚奇。 一只名為“指節(jié)”的黑猩猩——來(lái)自佛羅里達(dá)州的猿類中心——是唯一為人所知的患大腦性麻痹的被俘獲的黑猩猩,這種病讓它的身體和頭腦都患有殘疾。 科學(xué)家們發(fā)現(xiàn),群體中其他的黑猩猩都對(duì)它另眼相待,它很少遭遇年長(zhǎng)雄猩猩的惡意挑釁。 黑猩猩們還表現(xiàn)出一種正義感,那些背離群體行為準(zhǔn)則的猩猩會(huì)遭到其他成員的攻擊,以示懲戒。
蝙蝠 吸血蝠每晚都需要飲血,不過(guò)有些蝙蝠找不到食物也屬常見(jiàn)。那些成功覓得食物的蝙蝠會(huì)和不成功的蝙蝠分享。 它們更有可能會(huì)與之前把食物分享給它們的蝙蝠分享。別可夫教授認(rèn)為,這種互惠互利是一種合理加盟感造成的結(jié)果,而將動(dòng)物維系為群體的正是這種合作感。 (來(lái)源:英語(yǔ)學(xué)習(xí)雜志) |
Vocabulary: compile: 累積。 innate: 天生的,固有的。 empathy: 同情。 in distress: 處于危難(困境)中。 present one's case: 提出……的理由。 assumption: 假定,臆斷。 disintegrate: 瓦解,解體。 submission: 屈服,服從。 initiate: 開(kāi)始實(shí)施。 resume: (中斷后)繼續(xù)。 antelope: 羚羊。 enclosure: 圍場(chǎng)。 adept: 熟練的,內(nèi)行的。 cerebral palsy: 大腦性麻痹。 intimidating: 令人恐懼的。 deviate from: 背離,偏離。 set upon: (使)襲擊。? forage: 搜尋。 reciprocity: 互惠,互換。 affiliation: 聯(lián)系,從屬關(guān)系。 |