War
People often claim that they are interested in living in peace, but why then do we continue to have so much conflict in areas like the Balkans, the Middle East, Africa and other areas? Is there something about human nature which makes conflict inevitable and peace impossible? According to Carl Coon, the answers lie not so much in human biology, but in the development of human culture.
Coon makes the compelling argument that contemporary human actions are heavily influenced by the sorts of human actions which were once successful in humanity' s primitive past. But what is a culture, and why should it be beholden to practices no longer as successful?
As he defines it, a culture is shared beliefs and behaviors that create and foster a sense of shared identity among the members of a particular group, tribe or society. Sometimes these beliefs and behaviors are static and sometimes they are dynamic. They cannot be too static, otherwise the group won' t be able to adapt to changing circumstances. They also cannot be too variable, otherwise they won?t be able to create that shared identity. It is, after all, the fact that people feel like they "belong" and that they are "safe" that is most important.
That is perhaps one of the most important reasons why cultures develop and why they are different. When groups compete, one of the things that helps ensure victory for one or the other is be the strength of internal bonds. Just how loyal are the members and how willing are they to make sacrifices for the group?
It is why people have been so willing to die for their religion or their tribe. Unfortunately, it can also create problems, especially today when cultural groups have become so large and their destructive power so massive. Even though it may have been useful at one time, it is becoming more and more of a problem.
Is it an essential part of our human nature to engage in an "us vs. them" mental attitude rather than cooperate with people who are different? This appears to be the case: it has developed both within cultural groups and between cultures. When we can create a multicultural group, such attitudes can be expended harmlessly in things like sports; but in a monocultural group, these attitudes can lead to hatred and hostility.
What are we to do about it now? Is our future condemned by our past? Not necessarily, the challenge for us today, according to Coon, is to recognize the nature of our cultural conflicts and where their origins really lie. Furthermore, we must use this insight to help in a transition to a better, global society. Our instincts may be to engage in fierce loyalty to one group and hate others, but that is something we need to work to overcome.
Any thoughts on this?