Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Has Anyone Ever Just Asked? [Chimpanzee Religion]

This paper is my own intellectual property and if I catch you stealing it for use as your own work bad things will happen to you.  This short paper recieved an 83% in my Religion & Nature class.  

Has Anyone Ever Just Asked?


            The question of chimpanzee religion is one that, if answered, has ramifications across many different fields of study.  Jane Goodall, in her 2005 encyclopedia entry, Primate Spirituality, thinks that their behavior in certain situations indicates that they do have some sort of primitive religious inclinations.  James B. Harrod agrees; after first creating a definition of religion that can be transferred across the species, Harrod examines reported chimpanzee practices, both in captivity and in the wild, and finds that they do indeed correspond to his trans-species definition (Harrod).  It is now up to researchers from a wide range of disciplines to investigate. 
            The possible avenues of research are endless, since almost no research has been done before.  A possible method that may yield results is to attempt direct communication with members of the chimpanzee species.  It is fairly common knowledge that Washoe the chimpanzee, raised in captivity, was able to learn about three hundred fifty different signs.  If chimpanzees can be raised like she was then maybe could be able to communicate in an effective way like Washoe, perhaps even be able to convey abstract ideas. 
            They may exhibit some of the same religious behaviors that Harrod describes in his article, The Case for Chimpanzee Religion.  In the conclusion of that same article, Harrod says that those behaviors are “biological ritualizations of instincts”, (Harrod) which implies that since every chimpanzee has the same basic instincts, therefore they must have, to some degree, a similar set of inclinations towards religion.  They may all feel the need to announce something strange and threatening, or to fall silent in a sort of awestruck way when experiencing the emotion of wonder (Harrod). 
            Perhaps I have made my argument too simple, I do not intend to express the relative ease with which such communication may take place.  Most likely, it is next to impossible.  Teaching another species how to communicate with humans about something that we see through such an anthropocentric lens will be extremely challenging.  Harrod’s definition of religion, and perhaps others that may follow, must be at the center of these discussions.  Chimpanzees would also have to be taught words and concepts in such a way as to interfere as minimally as possible with their subsequent communication.  A trans-species definition is the only option that could currently work.  We would have to begin by asking them about their behaviors in abnormal situations.  For example, if a fellow chimpanzee has died, and the rest are let in to pay last respects like in the situation Harrod describes at the New York University lab, researches should ask the animals about their behavior (Harrod).  For example, in the NYU case dealing with death rites, “WHY DID YOU OPEN PABLO’S EYES?” may prompt an informative response.  “WHY WERE YOU SILENT AFTER THE SCREAMING?” could be another question, this time aimed at Harrod’s case in the Arnhem Zoo (Harrod).  This avoids the issue of having to teach chimpanzees the meaning of the word death, and thus lets them come up with a less influenced answer than if humans were to teach chimpanzees about death and then asked them what they thought about it.
            Humanity has a long way to go to understand the other animals that live on Earth with us, but maybe the journey isn’t as long as it seems.  Maybe we could just ask them.


 
 
Works Cited
 
Harrod, James B. "The Case for Chimpanzee Religion." Journal for the Study of Religion,                  Nature, and Culture 8.1 (2014): n. pag. EquinoxOnline. Web. 12 Sept. 2014. 
 

Harrod, James B. "A Trans-Species Definition of Religion." Journal for the Study of    Religion,                Nature and Culture 5.3 (2011): n. pag. Equinox Online. Web. 12 Sept. 2014. 

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