Intellectual ramblings on violence in the 21 century
I do not think there is much controversy in a statement “Violence is a natural behaviour in the animal kingdom“. However, a similar statement about 21st century human society will be very controversial.
In a try to explore this controversy and suggest ways to manage violence in our society on all levels from individual-domestic to international political matters I will try to look at it from two different dimensions:
1) the continuum from violence being a natural state to it being used only in extraordinary circumstances
2) the continuum from violence needed for survival to it being used purely as a tool for influence
I will try to take biological, anthropological, psychological and cultural view on it.
Violence has been critical for success of animal species from the beginning of time. So human’s are successors in the line of the many violent creatures like tigers. We share 99% of DNA with higher apes like gorilla’s and chimpanzees for whom raging violence is absolutely normal and healthy and is a factor in the survival of species. However Apes are higher than Cats in terms of using violence for influence.
What sets us apart from apes is our ability to use tools and language.
Development and use of tools for violence - weapons have been and still are the main driver of progress in human society. It still determines the success and survival of nations with wars raging around the world. On the other hand an average human has almost no need to use physical violence in her daily life. Here we need to look at violence as tool for influence and the other tool of influence we have is the language.
On psychological and cultural level humans can be taught to control their violent urges and substitute them with art of persuasion and communication to extent that it makes our society safer. Sense of hearing used to comprehend voice and sense of vision used to comprehend written text are so much more powerful than sense of touch/pain by which we as individuals comprehend violence.
Interestingly enough “Intellect” in its simple form can probably be defined as ability to use our senses to comprehend environment and influence it via communication.
The more we cultivate the art of using all our senses apart from touch to influence others the safer we will be as a society. I think it is now the work for childhood psychologists, teachers and of course parent to make sure that children start learning the power of the art of persuasion from very early age.
In a try to explore this controversy and suggest ways to manage violence in our society on all levels from individual-domestic to international political matters I will try to look at it from two different dimensions:
1) the continuum from violence being a natural state to it being used only in extraordinary circumstances
2) the continuum from violence needed for survival to it being used purely as a tool for influence
I will try to take biological, anthropological, psychological and cultural view on it.
Violence has been critical for success of animal species from the beginning of time. So human’s are successors in the line of the many violent creatures like tigers. We share 99% of DNA with higher apes like gorilla’s and chimpanzees for whom raging violence is absolutely normal and healthy and is a factor in the survival of species. However Apes are higher than Cats in terms of using violence for influence.
What sets us apart from apes is our ability to use tools and language.
Development and use of tools for violence - weapons have been and still are the main driver of progress in human society. It still determines the success and survival of nations with wars raging around the world. On the other hand an average human has almost no need to use physical violence in her daily life. Here we need to look at violence as tool for influence and the other tool of influence we have is the language.
On psychological and cultural level humans can be taught to control their violent urges and substitute them with art of persuasion and communication to extent that it makes our society safer. Sense of hearing used to comprehend voice and sense of vision used to comprehend written text are so much more powerful than sense of touch/pain by which we as individuals comprehend violence.
Interestingly enough “Intellect” in its simple form can probably be defined as ability to use our senses to comprehend environment and influence it via communication.
The more we cultivate the art of using all our senses apart from touch to influence others the safer we will be as a society. I think it is now the work for childhood psychologists, teachers and of course parent to make sure that children start learning the power of the art of persuasion from very early age.