Aggression in Humans

Paper Summary:

This paper looks at the theories put forth by several psychologists and anthropologists, including Albert Einstein and Sigmund Freud, on the origins of human aggression. The paper concludes that, in the end, the quandary comes back to Einstein and Freud. Whether aggression is in the DNA (ours and that of other primates) or is learned at our mother's (or father's) knee, it appears that the fin de siecle geniuses had it right: culture and sanctions appear to keep aggression under control.

Paper Outline:

Introduction
Red Meat and Being Mean
Universal Truths About Aggression
Pop Psychology: CD?
Man and Ape Alike
Women and Aggression
Odds Against
Conclusion
Bibliography

From the Paper:

"In fact, the issue of witchcraft begins to expose an aggressive side to women's natures. Those accused of witchcraft were usually married women of some wealth and status, certainly rarely the poorest in a village. Interpersonal vendettas but very often economic inequality provided the impetus for an accusation. The accusations were, moreover, not isolated incidents, but part of a pervasive pattern that included jealousy, threats and curses. While early village life did include friendships, it also included an "internal viciousness" and "brutality" in interpersonal conflict that drove some to pursue vendettas with "a degree of persistence and ruthlessness" that might end in the adversary's death."

More papers on Aggression in Humans:

• Research Paper # 13672 : "Aggression in Human & Non-Human Primates"
• Term Paper # 27697 : "Aggression in Men and Women"
• Essay # 70339 : "Girls and Aggression"

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