Chimpanzee Culture Wars: Rethinking Human Nature alongside Japanese, European, and American Cultural Primatologists

The first ethnographic exploration of the debate over whether nonhuman primates are capable of culture was conducted in the 1950s by Japanese zoologists. This debate has rocked the scientific world, pitting cultural anthropologists against evolutionary anthropologists, field biologists against experimental psychologists, and scholars from Asia against their colleagues in Europe and North America. In Chimpanzee Culture Wars, anthropologist Nicolas Langlitz presents first-hand observations gleaned from months spent among primatologists on different sides of the controversy. He travels across continents, from field stations in the Ivory Coast and Guinea to laboratories in Germany and Japan, and considers the plight of cultural primatologists as they seek to document chimpanzee cultural diversity during the Anthropocene.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 352 pages
Publication date: 08 September 2020
Publisher: Princeton University Press

The first ethnographic exploration of the contentious debate over whether nonhuman primates are capable of culture

In the 1950s, Japanese zoologists made a groundbreaking discovery when a group of macaques in a troop invented and passed on new food-washing behaviors. This observation sparked a startling question: Could animals other than humans share social knowledge and possess culture? The ensuing debate has rocked the scientific world, pitting cultural anthropologists against evolutionary anthropologists, field biologists against experimental psychologists, and scholars from Asia against their colleagues in Europe and North America.

In Chimpanzee Culture Wars, the first ethnographic account of this battle, anthropologist Nicolas Langlitz presents first-hand observations gleaned from months spent among primatologists on different sides of the controversy. Langlitz travels across continents, from field stations in the Ivory Coast and Guinea to laboratories in Germany and Japan. As he compares the methods and arguments of the different researchers he meets, he also considers the plight of cultural primatologists as they seek to document chimpanzee cultural diversity during the Anthropocene, an era in which human culture is remaking the planet.

How should we understand the chimpanzee culture wars in light of human-caused mass extinctions? Chimpanzee Culture Wars takes us on an exhilarating journey into high-tech laboratories and breathtaking wilderness, all in pursuit of an answer to the question of the human-animal divide.

The discovery of macaque culture in the 1950s challenged the notion that culture was solely a human phenomenon. It sparked a heated debate among scientists, with some arguing that animals could possess culture, while others maintained that it was exclusive to humans. Cultural anthropologists, who study human culture, argued that nonhuman primates could not have culture because they lacked the cognitive abilities necessary for it. Evolutionary anthropologists, on the other hand, argued that culture could evolve in any species, as long as there was a mechanism for transmitting social knowledge.

Field biologists, who study animal behavior, argued that nonhuman primates could have culture because they displayed complex social behaviors, such as cooperation, communication, and tool use. Experimental psychologists, who study animal cognition, argued that nonhuman primates could have culture because they showed evidence of problem-solving and planning.

Scholars from Asia, who have long studied nonhuman primates, argued that culture was not just a Western concept and that there were many examples of culture in nonhuman primates. They pointed to the complex social structures and behaviors of chimpanzees, bonobos, and orangutans, which they argued were evidence of culture.

The debate over whether nonhuman primates are capable of culture has continued to rage for decades. While some scientists have concluded that nonhuman primates can possess culture, others remain skeptical. The issue has become particularly contentious in recent years, as human culture is increasingly impacting the natural world.

One of the key questions in the debate is whether nonhuman primates can have culture in the same way that humans do. Cultural anthropologists argue that culture is a complex system of social norms, beliefs, and practices that are passed down from generation to generation. They argue that nonhuman primates cannot have culture because they do not have the cognitive abilities necessary for it, such as language and symbolic thinking.

Evolutionary anthropologists argue that culture can evolve in any species, as long as there is a mechanism for transmitting social knowledge. They point to the example of tool use in primates, which they argue is evidence of culture. They also argue that nonhuman primates can have culture in different ways than humans, such as through social learning and imitation.

Field biologists argue that nonhuman primates can have culture because they display complex social behaviors, such as cooperation, communication, and tool use. They argue that these behaviors are evidence of culture because they are learned and passed down from generation to generation.

Experimental psychologists argue that nonhuman primates can have culture because they show evidence of problem-solving and planning. They argue that these behaviors are evidence of culture because they require cognitive abilities, such as memory and attention.

Despite the ongoing debate, there is growing evidence that nonhuman primates can possess culture. For example, chimpanzees have been observed using tools to obtain food, which is evidence of culture. They have also been observed engaging in complex social behaviors, such as grooming and cooperation, which are evidence of culture.

In conclusion, the debate over whether nonhuman primates are capable of culture is complex and multifaceted. While some scientists argue that culture is exclusive to humans, others argue that it can evolve in any species. The evidence suggests that nonhuman primates can possess culture in different ways than humans, such as through social learning and imitation. However, the question of whether nonhuman primates can have culture in the same way that humans do remains unanswered. As human culture continues to impact the natural world, it is important to consider the impact of our actions on nonhuman primates and their ability to thrive in their natural environments.

Weight: 670g
Dimension: 156 x 232 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691204284