Final answer:
Frans de Waal views the study of social animals, emphasizing empathy and reciprocity, as key to understanding ethics; neuroscientific findings on mirror neurons support this approach.
Step-by-step explanation:
According to the primatologist Frans de Waal, a key discipline to understanding ethics is the study of social animals such as primates, which includes apes and monkeys. De Waal suggests that human morality may stem from our primate ancestors, where feelings of empathy and expectations of reciprocity have shaped the behaviors required for social groups to thrive. Neuroscience and the study of mirror neurons in the brain support this viewpoint, as these neurons are believed to be linked to the capacity for empathy and understanding of others' actions, hinting at a biological basis for ethics beyond religious or divine authority.