How Culture Allows for War and Peace
The evolution of uniquely human cognitive abilities gave us the means to wage war—as well as the capacity to avoid it.
Debate
-
-
No One Right Way to Peace
International doctrines don’t always work as expected. In fact, some violence is stoked by the rules that are meant to suppress it.
-
Could Group-Organized Violence Be Rooted in Empathy?
The evolution of empathy may have conferred both the advantage of mercy and the tradeoffs of killing.
-
Compassion Sets Humans Apart
Much attention has focused on the apparent violence in humanity’s distant past. But evidence of kindness and care is much more widespread.
-
Why Are Humans Violent?
From fights over a parking space, to marauding bands of outlaws, to global conflicts, we seem to be a violent species. What lies behind these episodes of violence?
-
The Sexual Allure of Simplicity
Is the return to a simple life a “new” way to advertise our good qualities? An evolutionary perspective says yes.