This is coolbert: In one of my most recent posts, I made mention of the believed innate aggressive tendencies of man. How this leads to violence and war on the part of societies practicing violence as a group against another group.

Now, more comment on this.

When man fights at war, two things are happening that go against the normal human condition. This many seem to be obvious in the extreme, but needs elaborating.

One thing that is happening during war that goes against the normal human condition is physical privation. Man, for the most part, seeks comfort. Even the most primitive peoples of the world, such as the pygmies of the Ituri rain forest, seek shelter, warmth, rest, and do not expose themselves to the elements. People in the normal state of society do not push themselves to physical exhaustion beyond reason. Do not go for long periods of time without sleep, food, rest, shelter, etc. In war, soldiers may have to go without food, shelter, rest, sleep, etc., for long periods of time. This goes against the normal condition of man.

The second thing that is happening of course in warfare that goes beyond the normal state of man is killing, wounding, and general all around mistreatment of the captured. You may be killed, severely wounded, or captured when fighting at war. Very obvious. There are very few circumstances other than war when these sort of things can happen. I have made posts about this previously. This threat of danger produces a fear factor that goes way beyond what we normally encounter in day to day life in peace time.

So we have a contradiction here. War may be innately a part of human nature. And yet, war, as it is fought, produces factors [physical privation, fear] that go against the human condition as it normally is practiced. We may have innate tendencies that make us want to fight, but at the same time, we as thinking beings realize what we do at war goes against the normal condition of man.

In addition, at least in western society, our culture has all sort of mores that prohibit the use of violence and killing in peace time. You can be executed for killing in peace time, and given a medal for doing so in war. Another contradiction.

Some authorities have commented on this and also on the practices that are found throughout the world that allow soldiers and warriors to overcome these contradictions. More on this later.

coolbert.