Le complexe des trois singes. Sur un certain journalisme primatologique

When comparing the scientific work of primatologists with its interpretation in texts addressed to wider audiences, one realizes that “primatological journalism” can be excessive. While it is thoroughly legitimate and necessary to naturalize humans in the light of the increasing number of similariti...

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Main Author: Etienne Bimbenet
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Société Francophone de Primatologie 2012-12-01
Series:Revue de Primatologie
Subjects:
Online Access:https://journals.openedition.org/primatologie/1138
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author Etienne Bimbenet
author_facet Etienne Bimbenet
author_sort Etienne Bimbenet
collection DOAJ
description When comparing the scientific work of primatologists with its interpretation in texts addressed to wider audiences, one realizes that “primatological journalism” can be excessive. While it is thoroughly legitimate and necessary to naturalize humans in the light of the increasing number of similarities discovered every day by primatology between human and non-human primate behaviors, it is far less relevant to radicalize this naturalism and turn it into a reductive understanding overlooking anything specific to human behaviors. The latter attitude is what I call the “three monkeys’ complex.”This project will analyse a series of “scoops” supposed to teach us that “language,” “self-consciousness,” or “tools” are no longer exclusively human. It will expose the logic of this discourse, pointing out the various excesses underlying its surface. Ultimately, the aim of this study will be to give, as a possible answer, a non-metaphysical, acceptable version of human specificity within what John MacDowell calls “second nature naturalism.”
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spelling doaj-art-48028cdb6589434d9996dc326605f7022025-01-30T10:01:49ZengSociété Francophone de PrimatologieRevue de Primatologie2077-37572012-12-01410.4000/primatologie.1138Le complexe des trois singes. Sur un certain journalisme primatologiqueEtienne BimbenetWhen comparing the scientific work of primatologists with its interpretation in texts addressed to wider audiences, one realizes that “primatological journalism” can be excessive. While it is thoroughly legitimate and necessary to naturalize humans in the light of the increasing number of similarities discovered every day by primatology between human and non-human primate behaviors, it is far less relevant to radicalize this naturalism and turn it into a reductive understanding overlooking anything specific to human behaviors. The latter attitude is what I call the “three monkeys’ complex.”This project will analyse a series of “scoops” supposed to teach us that “language,” “self-consciousness,” or “tools” are no longer exclusively human. It will expose the logic of this discourse, pointing out the various excesses underlying its surface. Ultimately, the aim of this study will be to give, as a possible answer, a non-metaphysical, acceptable version of human specificity within what John MacDowell calls “second nature naturalism.”https://journals.openedition.org/primatologie/1138popular sciencehominisationanthropological differencereductionnismlanguagejoint attention. politics
spellingShingle Etienne Bimbenet
Le complexe des trois singes. Sur un certain journalisme primatologique
Revue de Primatologie
popular science
hominisation
anthropological difference
reductionnism
language
joint attention. politics
title Le complexe des trois singes. Sur un certain journalisme primatologique
title_full Le complexe des trois singes. Sur un certain journalisme primatologique
title_fullStr Le complexe des trois singes. Sur un certain journalisme primatologique
title_full_unstemmed Le complexe des trois singes. Sur un certain journalisme primatologique
title_short Le complexe des trois singes. Sur un certain journalisme primatologique
title_sort le complexe des trois singes sur un certain journalisme primatologique
topic popular science
hominisation
anthropological difference
reductionnism
language
joint attention. politics
url https://journals.openedition.org/primatologie/1138
work_keys_str_mv AT etiennebimbenet lecomplexedestroissingessuruncertainjournalismeprimatologique