Do Humans Have An Inherent Capacity For War?

The story of the human race is war. Except for brief and precarious interludes there has never been peace in the world; and long before history began murderous strife was universal and unending. ~ Winston Churchill

War remains the decisive human failure. ~ John Kenneth Galbraith

The history of humans for 1000s of years have a complex relationship with war. Our history is filled with conflicts, violence, and war especially when resources, survival, or ideological beliefs are at stake.

Even to this era in 2024, there are currently over 110 conflicts—aggression and territoriality to defend their communities and the adversary wanting more real estate, greed for resources, and to establish dominance over other peoples and societies.

We view this everyday and live such conflicts for the past 3 years from Europe (in Ukraine, a NATO proxy war against Russia) and the Middle East (Israeli military obliterating Gaza and Lebanon, and Israeli government led with multiple targeted assassinations of Arab and Persian leaders and bombing of Iran). At the same time, Israeli politicians within the ruling government of Israel under Benjamin Netanyahu, politicians in Washington, D.C., and London, U.K., are planning for annexation of Palestine and other parts of the Middle East to expand their "Greater Israel" territory. Whatever the government of Israel does, they always work out a plan, with their allies in Washington and London.

However, humans are social creatures; we are empathetic, and we believe in cooperation, and peace.

War arises not only from human nature but from the complex socioeconomic and political societies we've built, with competing interests, power struggles, and cultural-religious mythical divides that lead to racism, discrimination, and conflict.

Some politicians have a complicated relationship with war. Psychologically and sociologically, for some individuals, war can create a sense of purpose, unity, and identity, drawing people together with a common cause.

Historically from many politicians, their narrative of a “just” war or a fight for survival can be deeply compelling, rallying a society behind politicians and their ideologies that promise victory.

War appeals to politicians in power who seek to expand influence and resources, using war as a tool to achieve those ambitions.

However, majority of people are not drawn to the suffering, death, damage and destruction that war causes.

The myth of war—often glorified in stories and media—obscures the brutal and extreme violence of real conflict.