The Arrogant Ape
The Myth of Human Exceptionalism and Why It Matters
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The Arrogant Ape
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An impassioned celebration of humility before the living world that leads us to a new understanding of other species—and ourselves—from a groundbreaking Harvard primatologist
Darwin considered humans one part of the web of life, not the apex of a natural hierarchy. Yet today many maintain that we are the most intelligent, virtuous, successful species that ever lived. This flawed thinking enables us to exploit the earth towards our own exclusive ends, throwing us into a perilous planetary imbalance. But is this view and way of life inevitable? The Arrogant Ape shows that human exceptionalism is an ideology that relies more on human culture than our biology, more on delusion and faith than on evidence.
Harvard primatologist Christine Webb has spent years researching the rich social, emotional, and cognitive lives of our closest living relatives. She exposes the ways that many scientific studies are biased against other species and reveals underappreciated complexities of nonhuman life—from the language of songbirds and prairie dogs, to the cultures of chimpanzees and reef fishes, to the acumen of plants and fungi. With compelling stories and fresh research she gives us a paradigm-shifting way of looking at other organisms on their own terms, one that is revolutionizing our perception both of them and of ourselves.
Critiques of human exceptionalism tend to focus on our moral obligation towards other species. They overlook what humanity also stands to gain by dismantling its illusions of uniqueness and superiority. This shift in perspective fills us with a sense of awe and satisfies one of our oldest and deepest desires to belong to the larger whole we inhabit. What’s at stake is a better, sustainable way of life with the potential to heal and rejuvenate our shared planet.
Critic reviews
“In her landmark book, Christine Webb makes clear that the notion that we're the most important show in town—smarter than, better than, more important than, uniquely exceptional, above, and separate from other animals—has got it all wrong. This distorted view of humans in which we use ourselves as some sort of standard to which individuals of other species should strive is not only arrogant, but singularly ill-informed. I highly recommend The Arrogant Ape. We need a new mindset, a paradigm shift in which we decenter ourselves and work alongside other species to change the dismal road on which we are currently and recklessly traveling.”—Marc Bekoff, author of The Emotional Lives of Animals
“The Arrogant Ape is a multidisciplinary takedown of anthropocentrism. Bursting with vivid firsthand accounts of encounters with wild animals and a survey of cutting-edge research into animal cognition, Webb offers a deeply considered, self-reflective, and undeniably philosophical approach to the scientific study of animal behavior. Christine Webb is spearheading a paradigm shift in science; deftly folding in Indigenous and phenomenological perspectives to forge a hybrid approach to empirical knowledge-seeking. Her book is a modern exploration of the ancient speciesism problem, leading the reader toward a hopeful appeal that we can dispel our culturally acquired forms of anthropocentrism in service of a humbler path to understanding both the animal mind and humanity’s connection to the natural world. Webb will leave you in awe.”—Justin Gregg, author of If Nietzsche Were a Narwhal
“A thrilling, disconcerting, ultimately hopeful exposé of our species’ self-regarding prejudices. Webb puts us in our place (and a fine place that is, in fact), showing us how much more fascinating the world is if we see it as it is, rather than denigrating it and using it as a mere resource. A crucial and transformative read.”—Charles Foster, author of Cry of the Wild
"Christine Webb is the informed and ethical voice we urgently need. The Arrogant Ape convincingly argues that humans need not—even should not—be placed central to every discussion in science, in policy, or in considering how to live one's life. This book will reframe the way you view animal welfare, and may even reframe the way you see."—Alexandra Horowitz, Senior Research Fellow at Barnard College, Columbia University, and author of Inside of a Dog
"The Arrogant Ape is among the best books I've ever read on what it means to be a human animal, perhaps, simply, the best book."—Rob Dunn, author of Never Home Alone
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