# Morality Began Within the Group by Frans de Waal > “I think that human morality evolved as an ingroup phenomenon, to strengthen the in-group and increase its cohesiveness. This was partly needed for competition with other groups.” > **— Frans de Waal**, *The Believer interview, 2007* ## Sources and Context - **Original interview:** [Tamler Sommers, “An Interview with Frans de Waal,” The Believer (September 1, 2007)](https://www.thebeliever.net/an-interview-with-frans-de-waal/). De Waal describes an evolutionary account of in-group morality while explicitly saying the finding is not a guideline against caring for outsiders; elsewhere in the interview he describes the natural origins of empathy and cooperation. ## Related Articles and Collections - **Collection:** [[collections/Consciousness Continuity|Consciousness Continuity]] - **Collection:** [[collections/Simple Reminders|Simple Reminders]] - **Article:** [[articles/The Evolutionary Roots of Silicon Valley|The Evolutionary Roots of Silicon Valley]] - **Article:** [[articles/Walking the Beautiful Path Through the Greatest Transformation in Human History|Walking the Beautiful Path Through the Greatest Transformation in Human History]] - **Wiki map:** [[wiki/Human Animality|Human Animality]] ## Related Topics - [[wiki/Frans de Waal|Frans de Waal]] - [[wiki/Human Animality|Human Animality]] - [[wiki/Dehumanization|Dehumanization]] ## Share on Social Media ``` “I think that human morality evolved as an ingroup phenomenon, to strengthen the in-group and increase its cohesiveness. This was partly needed for competition with other groups.” — Frans de Waal, The Believer, 2007 https://bryantmcgill.com/simple-reminders-frans-de-waal-morality-ingroup ```