Reason for Hope

Reason for Hope is a book by scientist and environmental activist Jane Goodall with Phillip Berman, an author and religious scholar, published in 1999. Goodall, best known for her work with chimpanzees in Africa, subtitled this book ‘a spiritual journey’ and attempts, through a combination of memoir, scientific investigation, and personal reflection, to answer two main questions posed to her regularly: How does she deal with the violence and evil she has witnessed between animals, humans, and each other, and is she optimistic that things will get better? Goodall effectively fuses faith and science in this book, combining a realistic view of human and animal nature with an intelligent consideration of spiritual matters.

The book begins with an introduction in which Goodall recalls a visit to the cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris when she experienced what she describes as ‘ecstasy’ in the mystical sense, and then recounts how so many people she encountered in academia and her scientific work were aggressively atheist or agnostic in their spiritual beliefs, while she nurtures a sincere belief in a ‘spiritual power’ she calls God. Goodall discusses briefly the evolution of her faith as she struggles to have faith in a good, all-powerful deity while recognizing the evil and violence of the world.

Goodall discusses her childhood. She was born in 1934, and describes a family filled with strong-willed women, and a childhood long before television or video games came along. She reads and has adventures in the country with her dog, gardens and becomes intensely interested in nature. Goodall notes that she was raised as a Christian, and her family’s fierce faith in a Christian God shaped her own personal spiritual side.

As Goodall grew older, she retains her faith but begins to view Christian dogma through a logical lens, questioning the literal nature of many aspects of the Bible verses she has been taught. After World War II revealed the Holocaust to the world, Goodall experiences her first prolonged period of doubt, finding it difficult to understand how an all-powerful God could allow such a thing. At this point, Goodall describes her growing habit of formulating her own faith, taking aspects of other religions and philosophies that make sense to her and rejecting teachings that do not. For example, she adopts a belief in reincarnation in sharp contrast to the Christian belief in a single mortal life followed by judgment.

Goodall describes her famous career, starting with the opportunity to work with Dr. Louis Leakey in Gombe, Africa, studying chimpanzees, where she first observed chimps using tools. This moment forced the scientific world to reconsider its attitude towards chimps—and other animals—in regard to their intelligence and capabilities.

Goodall uses her training and experience to consider the “roots of evil,” noting that she witnessed chimpanzees behaving in horrifyingly violent ways, including mass cannibalism and other behaviors that would, if observed in a human being, be termed evil. At the same time, she witnesses the chimps being very tender and loving towards one another, concluding that good and evil are natural aspects to any sentient life.

Despite her scientific background, Goodall then recounts several moments in her life when she felt what she describes as a spiritual connection, a link between her, the animals, and plants around her—something she personally believes is linked by God in some sense. This forms the foundation of her personal belief system—that all living things and the natural world they inhabit are connected, and that the connective energy is not random or primordial, but rather the spiritual force of God that transcends good and evil.

Goodall then delves into the subject of death, and how it can possibly exist in a world where God supposedly loves his creations. She ponders the illness and death of her husband, Derek Bryceson, who suffered terribly from cancer before passing away. Goodall was devastated by his death, but she describes several incidents she perceives as paranormal, such as a moment when she met and conversed with her husband after his death in what can only be described as an out-of-body experience. These moments brought her great comfort and convinced her that there is a spiritual side to existence. At the same time, she recognizes the impossibility of proving such things and understands with refreshing candor that many of her own fellow scientists will dismiss her statements as the grieving of a widow.

Goodall ends the book with an optimistic review of what she perceives as progress, noting that humanity is increasingly concerned with the treatment of animals and the environment, and that her observation of instinctive goodness and kindness in animals is magnified in people. Her conclusion is that while there is suffering and evil in the world, it is slowly being defeated by goodness and kindness, and she sees this as the work of God.

Goodall and Berman combine faith with rigorous scientific observation and investigation to create a unique book. Part spiritual memoir, part scientific work, Reason for Hope ultimately conveys Goodall’s message of optimism without becoming preachy or abandoning logic altogether.