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War and Human Nature: Opposing Viewpoints
This anthology of opposing viewpoints explores the question of war and human nature. The materials included are drawn from a wide spectrum of sources in order to lend balance and credibility to the debates. The viewpoints contain, among others, the writings of social, biological, physical, political, and military scientists, theologians, and journalists.
212 pages, Library Binding
First published December 1, 1983
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
July 5, 2019
What causes war? Why do humans commit acts of violence? Is world-wide peace possible and if so then how? War and Human Nature is a debate on questions like this.
This book is part of the Opposing Viewpoints series. It is divided into chapters headed by questions and composed of articles by different authors answering said question in their own way. They are structured to contrast each other and thereby provide a (hopefully) panoramic view of the debate on each question.
For instance, the first question is "Are Humans Aggressive by Nature" and the first answer is "Aggression is an Instinct" followed by "Aggression is Not an Instinct".
Overall, it is an interesting book. The opinions work together, challenging each other and answering each other's criticism even if not explicitly doing so. Some of them have stronger arguments than others in my opinion, and some feel incomplete. These are excerpts, after all. The full versions are elsewhere.
This makes it a quick read. Each chapter can be read and considered in less than one hour.
The problem with this book is that it is dated. Much of the war that is concerned with is either World War II or the Cold War. There are exceptions but the majority of the arguments and debate is centered around these two subjects which are closer in time to their authors than readers in 2019. Terrorism, domestic violence, and hates crimes are examples of aggression and violence which are either not mentioned or only sparingly in comparison to conventional war and nuclear weapons.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "War and Human Nature" a B+
This book is part of the Opposing Viewpoints series. It is divided into chapters headed by questions and composed of articles by different authors answering said question in their own way. They are structured to contrast each other and thereby provide a (hopefully) panoramic view of the debate on each question.
For instance, the first question is "Are Humans Aggressive by Nature" and the first answer is "Aggression is an Instinct" followed by "Aggression is Not an Instinct".
Overall, it is an interesting book. The opinions work together, challenging each other and answering each other's criticism even if not explicitly doing so. Some of them have stronger arguments than others in my opinion, and some feel incomplete. These are excerpts, after all. The full versions are elsewhere.
This makes it a quick read. Each chapter can be read and considered in less than one hour.
The problem with this book is that it is dated. Much of the war that is concerned with is either World War II or the Cold War. There are exceptions but the majority of the arguments and debate is centered around these two subjects which are closer in time to their authors than readers in 2019. Terrorism, domestic violence, and hates crimes are examples of aggression and violence which are either not mentioned or only sparingly in comparison to conventional war and nuclear weapons.
Trickster Eric Novels gives "War and Human Nature" a B+
May 21, 2022
Really good! Granted, there were some ideas in here that I REALLY do not vibe with, but that's the whole point of the book tbh.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews