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A review by zena_ryder
The Human Potential for Peace: An Anthropological Challenge to Assumptions about War and Violence by Douglas P. Fry
5.0
I found this book fascinating and very readable, despite being an academic book in an area I'm not familiar with. I loved learning about the various cultures around the world, and their different methods for conflict resolution. The diversity of human beings is amazing.
Fry's view is that we have tended to over emphasize humans' capacity for violence, while under emphasizing our capacity for non-violent conflict resolution and peaceful living. We have emphasized the qualities we might have in common with (more violent) chimpanzees, while largely ignoring the qualities we might have in common with (more peaceful) bonobos, which are just as closely related to us. We have emphasized the war and violence in our history, while largely ignoring (or failing to see) the apparently peaceful simple hunter-gatherer societies of our more distant evolutionary past. (Not to mention the fact that, even now, most of us manage to get along, resolving our differences, every single day — without resorting to violence.)
Fry challenges assumptions that have been repeated in the academic literature and in mainstream society, about the innate violent tendencies of humans, and shows how such assumptions have, in many cases, coloured scholars' interpretation and/or presentation of the data.
A wonderful book, which left me feeling optimistic about humans' capacity for peace.
There's a review of the book here, as well as more info on a world without war:
http://www.afww.org/index.html
Fry's view is that we have tended to over emphasize humans' capacity for violence, while under emphasizing our capacity for non-violent conflict resolution and peaceful living. We have emphasized the qualities we might have in common with (more violent) chimpanzees, while largely ignoring the qualities we might have in common with (more peaceful) bonobos, which are just as closely related to us. We have emphasized the war and violence in our history, while largely ignoring (or failing to see) the apparently peaceful simple hunter-gatherer societies of our more distant evolutionary past. (Not to mention the fact that, even now, most of us manage to get along, resolving our differences, every single day — without resorting to violence.)
Fry challenges assumptions that have been repeated in the academic literature and in mainstream society, about the innate violent tendencies of humans, and shows how such assumptions have, in many cases, coloured scholars' interpretation and/or presentation of the data.
A wonderful book, which left me feeling optimistic about humans' capacity for peace.
There's a review of the book here, as well as more info on a world without war:
http://www.afww.org/index.html