The Evolution of Violence

About this book

Our contemporary capacity for understanding and empathy suggests that people are becoming less disposed to violence. At the same time, current developments in war technologies and the popularity of blood-soaked movies and video games point to the opposite conclusion. The works of Darwin hold crucial keys to the puzzle, yet his theories--and evolutionary theory in general--are often dismissed as relics, or worse. The Evolution of Violence explores and explodes myths about evolutionary theory while restoring Darwinian concepts to modern-day relevance. In these provocative pages, violence scholars from across the disciplines elegantly argue that evolutionary perspectives, far from conflicting with current science, complement and enhance standard social theory. Compelling original essays in areas such as domestic abuse, sibling conflict, and aggression in women make the case with clarity, and the contributors' theoretical and empirical insights carry significant practical implications for violence prevention. Among the featured topics: Sexual selection and the psychology of intergroup conflict. Warfare and human nature. Evolutionary behavioral genetics of violent crime. Intimate partner violence: an evolutionary view. Evolutionary perspectives on child welfare law. An evolutionary developmental lens for understanding the causes and consequences of human aggression. Scholarly and useful for researchers and evolutionary scientists while accessible to interested laypersons, The Evolution of Violence is no simple reminder of how far we've come as a species--it points clearly to our human potential for future progress.