Skip to content

Frans de Waal

Professor of Primate Behavior, Emory University

Dr. Frans B. M. de Waal is a Dutch/American behavioral biologist and primatologist known for his work on the behavior and social intelligence of primates. His first book, Chimpanzee Politics (1982), compared the schmoozing and scheming of chimpanzees involved in power struggles with that of human politicians. His scientific work has been published in hundreds of technical articles in journals such as Science, Nature, Scientific American, and outlets specialized in animal behavior. His popular books - translated into 20+ languages - have made him one of the world's most visible primatologists. His latest books are Mama’s Last Hug (Norton, 2019) and Different: Gender Through the Eyes of a Primatologist (Norton, 2022). De Waal is C. H. Candler Professor Emeritus at Emory University and Distinguished Professor Emeritus at Utrecht University. He has been elected to the (U.S.) National Academy of Sciences as well as the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences. In 2007, Time declared him one of "The World's 100 Most Influential People Today."

an older man wearing glasses and a jacket.
a close up of a monkey with its mouth open.
The “alpha male” myth, debunked
Primatologist Frans de Waal inadvertently popularized the term “alpha male.” Now, he’s debunking common stereotypes to explain what an “alpha male” really is — empathetic and protective.
▸
7 min
—
with
Frans de Waal
The Biological Basis of Moral Relativism
Biology gives us the general moral sense and the general ability to develop a moral system but the specific rules that we apply in our society are not necessarily given by biology.