Sunday, November 10, 2019

Is Violence Embedded in Our DNA?


Another great piece from Sapiens.  This article examines whether humans are genetically predisposed for violence. For me, this article provides an interesting look into whether human males are truly genetically predisposed for violence. The author of the article provides several viewpoints on both sides; there are anthropologists who believe that violence and warfare come from culture and this is not something males have evolved with. Others argue that it’s an evolutionary advantage men have, that there are anatomical differences between men and women that point to this. A point that stuck out for me particularly is that there are cultures that have existed throughout history, including currently, that have not had war at all. Anthropologists look at our closest animal relatives, apes and monkeys, for an idea into hour our early hominid ancestors lived before we fully evolved into Homo sapiens, describing the ways chimpanzee society works, with ultra-aggressive male chimps intimidating the males of smaller groups away, and poses this as a possible look at the behaviors we lost and adapted from our pre-human ancestors. It is interesting to me how quickly the article looks at males of the species for violence and the answers behind it, though.


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