Flashcards on Causes of War and International Conflicts
Causes of War and International Conflicts: A Deep Dive
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War
15 cards
Card 1
Question: What is the central thesis on the persistence of war according to the summary of Why War? (2024)?
Answer: That war is a central feature of the human condition, rooted in biology, psychology, culture, and history, making it unlikely to disappear permanently
Card 2
Question: What is evolutionary biology's stance on whether we are genetically programmed for war?
Answer: Modern biology denies that we are genetically programmed for war, although organized violence may have developed as an evolutionary adaptation to prot
Card 3
Question: What is 'inclusive fitness' and how does it relate to war?
Answer: Inclusive fitness is the tendency to protect and favor members of one's own group to preserve shared genes; historically, this may have motivated coll
Card 4
Question: According to social psychology, what mechanism causes humans to justify extreme violence against other groups?
Answer: Dehumanization or 'othering': demonizing and viewing the out-group as less than human allows for the justification of extreme violence.
Card 5
Question: What role has gender historically played in the predisposition to collective violence?
Answer: Warlike socialization has been predominantly masculine; historical structures have promoted the 'male warrior' as the primary agent of organized viole
Card 6
Question: How do cultural anthropologists and sociologists explain the origin of war?
Answer: They view it as a learned phenomenon that arises when societies organize politically into tribes, states, or empires and develop military cultures tha
Card 7
Question: What historical example illustrates the institutionalization of war in organized societies?
Answer: Ancient empires, such as Rome, which developed military cultures and warrior elites that normalized war.
Card 8
Question: What explanation does the ecological perspective offer regarding the origin of certain conflicts?
Answer: That competition for scarce resources, triggered by climate shocks, droughts, or overpopulation, has driven wars in the past and may cause 'climate wa
Card 9
Question: Provide a historical example of conflict driven by ecological pressures mentioned in the text.
Answer: Invasions by nomadic peoples on the Chinese frontier or wars during long droughts in pre-colonial America.
Card 10
Question: What types of political motives typically trigger wars in a specific case?
Answer: Resources (theft of wealth or territories), ideology and belief systems, and perceived fear or insecurity (preemptive or defensive attacks).