The Inheritance of Violence

According to Bible,   the very first murder  was committed by the very first  naturally born human .  The first  born of Adam and Eve,  Cain,   contrives to murder Abel, his own  brother, in a fit of jealousy.  Ever since that  first murder,   violence  has  became a part of human  life.   Violence must have been the quintessential quality of  the primitive  man,  when he had to coexist with the wild animals in accordance with jungle laws. Living in unfriendly terrains meant his  very existence depended on  his muscle power.  From the hunter gatherer,  as he,  ever so slowly,  metamorphosed  into a farmer,   he  acquired or rather developed certain extraordinary skills.   First of all he learned the  economics of  survival ,  the trade off between productive   foraging  versus  self annihilation.  Alienating himself from the jungle, he  tamed and domesticated  wild animals and plants  for his own selfish needs. As a part of  community living he also learned to communicate more effectively  with his kith and kin. The clicks and clocks of the tongue gave way to well structured languages   One would naturally conclude that language would have  at least to  some extent,  mitigated  mindless violence by facilitating   arguments  debates, discussions, negotiations and compromises.  

In fact Sigmund  Freud would have us believe that  man had to willingly suppress  his animal instincts,  especially the aggressive trait,  in order to set up a civilized society(1).     Incidentally I have been (re)reading the La Bete Humaine  ( The Human Beast)  written  in 1889 by Emile Zola (2).  The story is  set against the backdrop of industrial revolution and introduction fo railways in France.   The protagonist in the novel, Jacques, an engine driver,   is besieged with a violent urge to kill, whenever he tries to get intimate with a  female. He himself  is exasperated and deeply traumatized by this strange trait within. He tries to reason with himself, but  to no avail. At one point he concludes that this is a  trait inherited from the primitive man and can’t be just wished away.  

That is when  the issue of Science dated 18th May 2012 (3)  arrived with a  special section on violence.   Violence is analyzed and interpreted from various angles.  There is no conclusive evidence that civilized man is less prone to violence than the primitive man. There are enough arguments for and against.  This particular  issue of Science  is worth reading  not just once, but many times over.  In a  very concise yet incisive  editorial,  Professor David Hamburg  emphasizes the need to contain violence, as we contain a contagious disease. Look for early symptoms  and  prevent the spread then and there.  There is no single,  simple  answer to how violence erupts.  But with a  better sense of the after effects of  mindless violence, we should be  able to  " manage " it ;   this is the least we can do as human race . 

Scholarly essays  spread over  80 pages  deal very seriously with  the genesis and  developmental sociology of  human conflicts and violence.    But then  came relief  in the form of examples from animal kingdom.(4) Though we inherited the trait from them,  they don’t always resort to a "fight to kill  policy" to resolve conflict.  There are many other ways of  shooing  and scaring the enemy away, so  why fight to kill and be killed or injure and be injured?   Take the case of  Australian ants,  Iridomyrmex  purpureus,    They have a battalion of able bodied members forming the  Border Security Force, forever   safeguarding their territorial boundaries.  The  honeypot ants occasionally  hold power displays or  friendly matches  just to profess their  strength,  " Stay away, See what we are capable of".   And then  the practice  among the  green wood hoopoe,  a bird native to South Africa. Living in groups,  they defend their territories and  scare away intruders and enemies  by simply  calling as loudly as possible. 

1. Das Unbehagen in der Kultur   ( Civilization and its Discontents) S. Freud

2. La Bete Humaine ( The Human Beast)  Emile Zola

3. Science  vo. 336, 18 May 2012   pages 818-884
4. Elizabeth Pennisi, Science  vo. 336, 18 May 2012 , pages 828& 838

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