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Is war an unavoidable part of human nature?


Still Waters

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Is it in our nature to go to war? Should we just accept the fact that humans have this innate tendency and are hardwired to kill members of other groups?

No, says R. Brian Ferguson, professor of anthropology at Rutgers University-Newark. There is no scientific proof that we have an inherent propensity to take up arms and collectively kill.

In a study published in Scientific American, Ferguson argues that war may not be in our nature at all. People might fight and sometimes kill for personal reasons, but homicide, he argues, is not war.

"There is definitely controversy in the field when it comes to this question," says Ferguson, who studies human nature, war and peace. "But it is the overall circumstances that we live in that creates the impulse to go or not go to war."

https://phys.org/news/2018-12-scientific-proof-war-ingrained-human.html

https://www.sciencealert.com/war-might-not-be-quite-as-ingrained-in-human-nature-as-we-think

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Hell man has never gotten along with each other....War to man is like crack to a drug addict they cannot do with out it.

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1 hour ago, Still Waters said:

Is it in our nature to go to war? Should we just accept the fact that humans have this innate tendency and are hardwired to kill members of other groups?

I think it is in our nature to be peaceful.  But there are individuals among us who are control freaks...these are the ones who create war.

48 minutes ago, Alien Origins said:

Hell man has never gotten along with each other....War to man is like crack to a drug addict they cannot do with out it.

Are you talking about War or the Weapons Trade?  They are kind of inseparable but I think they are two distinct entities. 

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I believe it is as much a part of our collective nature as is love.  Two sides of one consciousness.  We have to choose which will hold sway in our lives and some will always choose the way of power and pride over compassion and compromise.  Because this nature is universal among humans, it seems that we will always find conflict to be satisfying enough to push away the memories of the horrors it brings.  Until we relearn the lessons in our own generation, that is.

24 minutes ago, joc said:

I think it is in our nature to be peaceful.  But there are individuals among us who are control freaks...these are the ones who create war.

Are you talking about War or the Weapons Trade?  They are kind of inseparable but I think they are two distinct entities. 

 

They do their part to increase the suffering and the total numbers of the dead but the desire to impose one's will on others through force has been around a LOT longer than the death merchants.  They are a symptom, not a cause.

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I would say it's part of our nature but not unavoidable. 

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40 minutes ago, joc said:

I think it is in our nature to be peaceful.  But there are individuals among us who are control freaks...these are the ones who create war.

Are you talking about War or the Weapons Trade?  They are kind of inseparable but I think they are two distinct entities. 

Quote

Are you talking about War or the Weapons Trade?  They are kind of inseparable but I think they are two distinct entities. 

I was speaking of war. But your right you cannot have one without the other. 

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59 minutes ago, spartan max2 said:

I would say it's part of our nature but not unavoidable. 

That's what I think too. I'd just add that I also think we're supposed to outgrow the mindset that makes the wars so common and even desirable.  

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It is our nature to sometimes go to war if one group of people or a nation is being unfair, abusive, and horrible to another group of people or another nation.

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On ‎09‎/‎12‎/‎2018 at 1:04 PM, Still Waters said:

Is it in our nature to go to war? Should we just accept the fact that humans have this innate tendency and are hardwired to kill members of other groups?

No, says R. Brian Ferguson, professor of anthropology at Rutgers University-Newark. There is no scientific proof that we have an inherent propensity to take up arms and collectively kill.

In a study published in Scientific American, Ferguson argues that war may not be in our nature at all. People might fight and sometimes kill for personal reasons, but homicide, he argues, is not war.

"There is definitely controversy in the field when it comes to this question," says Ferguson, who studies human nature, war and peace. "But it is the overall circumstances that we live in that creates the impulse to go or not go to war."

https://phys.org/news/2018-12-scientific-proof-war-ingrained-human.html

https://www.sciencealert.com/war-might-not-be-quite-as-ingrained-in-human-nature-as-we-think

Every animal species kills those outside their social group from time to time or members of other species.

That professor is stating an ideological view not one grounded in reality.

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When an animal species population have no roam anymore it tend do be aggressive and let the weak die. We are an animal species and we do the same... 

Edited by Jon the frog
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10 hours ago, RabidMongoose said:

Every animal species kills those outside their social group from time to time or members of other species.

That professor is stating an ideological view not one grounded in reality.

I think it is less common than you imply.  Individual males fight over territory or access to females in many species, but it is single combat,  Wolves sometimes kill coyotes and primate bands kill each other when  they feel  territorial pressure.  Humans have one adaptation that few other animals have, the ability to expand the filial group,  No wolf pack reaches 100 individuals, let alone 1000.  We have transitioned into nations of hundreds of millions. IF we can feed everybody and keep them secure, will we become a global  group with shared interests and a common interest in survival?  It is a possibility at least.  I think we will have to do that before we expand beyond the earth, which we may do someday in the future

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58 minutes ago, Tatetopa said:

I think it is less common than you imply.  Individual males fight over territory or access to females in many species, but it is single combat,  Wolves sometimes kill coyotes and primate bands kill each other when  they feel  territorial pressure.  Humans have one adaptation that few other animals have, the ability to expand the filial group,  No wolf pack reaches 100 individuals, let alone 1000.  We have transitioned into nations of hundreds of millions. IF we can feed everybody and keep them secure, will we become a global  group with shared interests and a common interest in survival?  It is a possibility at least.  I think we will have to do that before we expand beyond the earth, which we may do someday in the future

Well of course, mass warfare requires mass organised society.

Humans, ants, termites, bees, wasps, and some other insects, are the only species that have civilizations.

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9 hours ago, RabidMongoose said:

Well of course, mass warfare requires mass organised society.

Humans, ants, termites, bees, wasps, and some other insects, are the only species that have civilizations.

Granted.  Are the battles for reasons other than  conflict over resources or territory in any case?  If our civilization can resolve those, would we still have the impulse to war?  I truly don't know.

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