Publications by authors named "Hugo Meijer"
Article Synopsis
- The article explores the origins of war, debating whether it's a fundamental human trait ("deep roots") inherited from our ancestors or a recent development linked to the rise of agriculture and complex societies ("shallow roots").
- Through a review of prehistoric archaeological evidence from different regions, the article investigates patterns of conflict and cooperation among early human groups over time.
- While both perspectives are partially supported, the findings indicate that interactions varied significantly, with early human societies exhibiting a mix of both violent and peaceful behaviors rather than a clear trend towards war or harmony.
The human species presents a paradox. No other species possesses the propensity to carry out coalitionary lethal attacks on adult conspecifics coupled with the inclination to establish peaceful relations with genetically unrelated groups. What explains this seemingly contradictory feature? Existing perspectives, the "deep roots" and "shallow roots" of war theses, fail to capture the plasticity of human intergroup behaviors, spanning from peaceful cooperation to warfare.
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