Always Quote by Jane Goodall
“The part that always shocked me was the inter-community violence among the chimps: the patrols and the vicious attacks on strangers that lead to death. It's an unfortunate parallel to human behavior - they have a dark side just as we do. We have less excuse, because we can deliberate, so I believe only we are capable of true calculated evil.”
About This Quote
Source Documentary: The Chimpanzee Conflict, 2015
Observes violent inter‑group behavior in chimpanzees, drawing a parallel to human capacity for calculated evil, emphasizing our responsibility to choose differently.
In simple terms: Chimp violence mirrors human dark side; we can think and choose.
Key Takeaway
Use our deliberation to prevent calculated evil.
Themes
violence
human nature
responsibility
Mood
thought‑provoking
somber
Type
documentary
philosophical
When to use this quote
- conflict resolution
- ethical education
- policy making
Key Concepts
Moral agency
comparative primatology
Questions to Reflect On
- What mechanisms can we develop to curb calculated evil?
- How does awareness of animal behavior inform human ethics?
A Different Perspective
Human societies have complex social structures that can mitigate or exacerbate violence.
