Not So Different: Finding Human Nature in Animals

362 Pages·2016·4.69 MB·English

by  Nathan H. Lents

NOT SO DIF FER ENT

NATHAN H. LENTS
NOT SO DIF FER ENT
Finding Human Nature in Animals
Columbia University Press / New York
Columbia University Press
Publishers Since 1893
New York Chichester, West Sussex
cup . columbia . edu
Copyright © 2016 Columbia University Press
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Cataloging-i n- Publication Data
Names: Lents, Nathan H., author.
Title: Not so diff er ent : fi nding human nature in animals / Nathan H. Lents.
Description: New York : Columbia University Press, 2016. | Includes
bibliographical references and index.
Identifi ers: LCCN 2015039849| ISBN 9780231178327 (cloth : alk. paper) |
ISBN 9780231541756 (e-b ook)
Subjects: LCSH: Animal beh av ior. | Psy chol ogy, Comparative.
Classifi cation: LCC QL751 .L42 2016 | DDC 591.5—d c23
LC rec ord available at http:// lccn . loc . gov / 2015039849
Columbia University Press books are printed on permanent
and durable acid-f ree paper.
Printed in the United States of Amer i ca
c 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
cover design: Milenda Nan Ok Lee
Para mi familia. Nora, “ You’re the BEST!”
q

CONTENTS
Acknowl edgments ix
INTRODUCTION
Emotions, Drives, and the Brain
1
1. WHY DO WE PLAY?
17
2. ANIMAL SYSTEMS OF JUSTICE
48
3. MORAL ANIMALS
69
4. SEXUAL POLITICS
92
5. DO ANIMALS FALL IN LOVE?
118
CONTENTS
6. THE AGONY OF GRIEF
160
7. JEALOUS BEASTS
Th e Dark Side of Love
197
8. DARKER STILL
Envy, Greed, and Power
224
9. AFRAID OF THE DARK
246
10. THE RICHNESS OF ANIMAL COMMUNICATION
272
EPILOGUE
Metacognition, Self- awareness, and the Mind
313
Notes 319
Index 347
viii
ACKNOWL EDGMENTS
I
HAVE TO BEGIN by acknowledging my mother, Judi, who has been telling
me for almost two de cades to write a book. I fi n ally did and I hope you
like it. As for my dad, Mike, you w ere the unwitting inspiration for this
book. I’ll tell you the story sometime. I also have to thank my always-
encouraging husband Oscar, who read every word of this and endured me
droning on about each topic endlessly, all while remaining supportive.
I would also like to thank the professional colleagues, friends actually,
who read early samples and gave me crucial advice that s haped the course
of the proje ct in import ant ways. Evan Mandery and Richard Haw, you
helped much more than you realize. Marc Bekoff , Joan Roughgarden, and
Micchio Kaku, you w ere generous enough to consider my ideas and give
advice and encouragement when I needed it most. I also want to thank my
friends who read this book as examples of my target audience and gave me
very helpful feedback regarding the tone, coverage, and detail. Lisa, An-
gela, and Oscar, I highly appreciate the eff ort you took to read the early
drafts of this and the feedback you gave. You substantially helped me
shape this book. I also want to acknowledge the support of the John Jay
College Offi ce for the Advancement of Research.
I also had two outstanding editors who gave this book the critical eye it
needed and substantially improved my writing in the pro cess. Heather