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Sto caricando le informazioni... War in Human Civilization (2006)di Azar Gat
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In this truly global study, Azar Gat sets out to unravel the 'riddle of war' throughout human history, from the early hunter-gatherers right through to the unconventional terrorism of the twenty-first century. - ;Why do people go to war? Is it rooted in human nature or is it a late cultural invention? How does war relate to the other fundamental developments in the history of human civilization? And what of war today - is it a declining phenomenon or simply changing its shape?. In this truly global study of war and civilization, Azar Gat sets out to find definitive answers to these questions i Non sono state trovate descrizioni di biblioteche |
Discussioni correntiNessunoCopertine popolari
Google Books — Sto caricando le informazioni... GeneriSistema Decimale Melvil (DDC)303.6Social sciences Social Sciences; Sociology and anthropology Social Processes Conflict and conflict resolution ; ViolenceClassificazione LCVotoMedia:
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The answer to the first question is evolution. Gat explains the existence of human violence as an evolutionary response to the scarcity that mankind experienced throughout most of its evolutionary history. While I strongly agree with Gat's thesis, I found his supporting information to be thin. While he effectively refutes the notion that human beings, and most other mammals for that reason, are inherently non-violent toward members of their own species, he does not amass nearly enough support for his contention that our violent natures are the result of inbred evolutionary pressures.
The answer to the second question is far more complicated. In essence Gat states that the "progress" that humans have made since the earliest days of farming has resulted in the creation of ever-more lethal armies, which has, in turn, resulted in ever greater concentrations of political power as societies sought protection in numbers from their enemies. On the other hand, the lethality of such military forces has caused an ever decreasing occurrence of war to the point where it now has not occurred between two Great Powers since the end of World War II.
As thin as the evidence supporting his first thesis was, the evidence supporting the second one is even thinner, to the point of being almost non-existent once Gat reaches the 20th century. At least Gat acknowledges the lack of support in this part and explains it away as something akin to common knowledge.
Despite his failure to provide enough support for his theses, Gat's War in Human Civilization is basically a must-read for anyone interested in the age-old question of why human beings engage in activity as destructive and barbaric as war. ( )