There is no attempt to fit evidence to a preconceived outcome. With the human condition now safely defended, we can admit the evidence all confirms our cooperative past, not a savage, ‘red in tooth and claw’ past as is commonly held. For example, in chapter 5 of his definitive book FREEDOM, Jeremy Griffith evidences that the cooperative and gentle bonobo represent a far better model of our human ancestors than the common chimpanzee. Both share approximately 99% of their DNA with humans, however bonobo physiology, bipedality, environment, intelligence and reduced canine size, better match our human ancestors. Reduced canine size is particularly relevant as it is arguably the outstanding features of the hominin clade, and universally accepted as an indication of reduced aggression. Fossil evidence of our cooperative past, including reduced canines, has lead the prominent anthropologist C. Owen Lovejoy to write that “our species-defining cooperative mutualism can now be seen to extend well beyond the deepest Pliocene [well beyond 5.3 mya]”. No, our selfishness and aggression is not instinctive in origin; all the evidence shows that our instinctive heritage is cooperative.
Griffith also includes analysis of the sensitivity and gentleness of so-called primitive peoples, such as the San Bushmen and the Australian Aborigines, as well as evidence from mythology of a ‘golden age’ of innocence in chapter 2:7. There is also evidence provided by the astonishing sensitivity to paleolithic rock painting in chapter 8:11C. The entire chapter 8 is a revealing application of the ontogeny recapitulates phylogeny principle to human evolution, showing a journey from innocent childhood to psychologically upset adulthood.
In addition, the archeological evidence supports the conclusion that violence and warfare is not instinctive. The archeologist I.J.N. Thorpe wrote that “The biological theories imply a constant level of violence, not supported by the archaeological evidence, which demonstrates significant variations in evidence for conflict from virtually none to apparent massacres” (The ancient origins of warfare and violence, 2005). And the palaeobiologist R. Dale Guthrie, arguably the world’s leading authority of Paleolithic art, makes it clear that warring is only a recent phenomena, writing that, “warring conflicts constitute most of recorded and mythic Holocene history [the last 11,700 years]. But Paleolithic art shows no drawing of group conflict, and there is virtually no indication from late Paleolithic skeletons of murderous violence [the Paleolithic extended from 3 million to 11,700 years ago; with the late Paleolithic starting 50,000 years ago]” (The Nature of Paleolithic Art, 2005).
