Are human brains wired for war?

About this episode

The episode explores how human evolution has influenced our predisposition to violence and conflict.

Violent, organized conflict is a near constant in human history. But why? Often, large-scale conflicts and wars are explained in material or political terms: humans engaging in conflict over land, resources, or ideologies. But as Rose McDermott, the David and Marianna Fisher University Professor of International Relations, sees it, these explanations fail to fully account for war’s existence and persistence throughout the long history of our species. To do that, McDermott argues that we need to take more seriously the ways that human psychology — shaped by our evolution as a species — predisposes some of us to violence. On this episode, Dan Richards spoke with Rose McDermott about how millennia of human evolution have wired our brains — particularly male brains — for war; what this means for modern society; and how we might think about building structures and institutions to help chart a new, more peaceful path for humanity.

People in this episode

Host: Dan Richards

Guest: Rose McDermott

Topics covered

• human psychology
• war
• evolution
• violence
• conflict
• society
• peace

Keywords

• human evolution
• war
• psychology
• violence
• conflict
• male brains
• peace

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: The Watson School

Books & works: Are human brains wired for war?

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