Morality seems to make sense only in relation to mankind: we use its concepts to evaluate our own deeds but find it odd to qualify the actions of animals as good or bad. However, other primates also demonstrate behavior which could be interpreted as manifestations of human-like morality. For example, a\u00a0clash between two male chimpanzees from one group urges the females to try and reconcile the feuding individuals. Wherever possible, they even prevent the fight by taking stones away from the males\u2019 hands. Chimpanzees probably feel that internal conflicts simply weaken their group.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Primates have the best developed prefrontal cortex, with humans taking the top spot. This is the youngest region of the brain in evolutionary terms. Its main activities include decision making, foreseeing behavioral consequences, and restraining impulsive reactions. Experimental research and case studies indicate that the prefrontal cortex is actually the sought-for center of morality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the 19th century, Phineas Gage was among the thousands of workers building the American railroads. One day, he suffered an accident at work when blowing up rocks: an uncontrolled explosion sent a metal bar through his skull. Although he did survive and retained his intellectual capacities and physical strength, his behavior changed completely. Previously a gentle and good-natured man, he became an impulsive and brusque individual who refused to observe social norms and seemed to have lost his \u201cmoral sense.\u201d His astonished friends maintained that he wasn\u2019t himself any more, and the railroad company ultimately fired him. Decades later, science revealed the reason for such a stunning transformation: the metal bar had pierced right through Phineas Gage\u2019s prefrontal cortex.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Radical behavioral changes were also observed in patients who underwent lobotomies\u2014a\u00a0controversial neurosurgical procedure that involves severing the connections between the prefrontal cortex and the remaining part of the brain. Lobotomy was once assumed to improve the condition of patients suffering from severe schizophrenia, and some of them did experience relief, but their behavior became similar to Gage\u2019s. They sank into apathy, lost their social inhibitions, and no longer observed the rules of social conduct.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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