U Tokyo Liberal Arts Program

Part 1: “Family as Seen by Ethology－The Origin of Family, Cooperation and Opposition within the Family－”

　When creatures breed, parents do not leave the fertilized eggs as they are, they protect them. It is the beginning of the relationship between parents and children. There are several cases concerning child care. For instance, mothers are in charge of child care in most the mammals’ cases and fathers are in charge of it in most fish’s cases. In most birds’ cases, both parents take care of their children. There is a case which the elder siblings look after their younger brothers and sisters even though they reach maturity. This is the beginning of the family union in animal society.

　In this lecture, I am going to give an outline of the diversity of relationships between parents and children; the biological factors in which family come into existence; cooperation and opposition within the family as well as community life beyond family.

Part 2: “Family of Human Beings and a Communal Society－How Human Beings were Promoted to the Status of Special Chimpanzees”

　It can be safely said that human beings are unusual monkeys who form family and live in societies, beyond the family, among other two hundred primates. There are no other mammals who experience old age.

　In this lecture I am going to examine how the life of humans and their methods of nursing are different from the other anthropoids (such as orangutans, gorillas and chimpanzees) that are closely related to humans, as well as considering why that kind of uniqueness appeared. In addition to these, I will examine the influence of family life and community life on the evolution of human’s mind.