Is War Natural After All? Revisiting the Debate ~ Luke Glowacki

Nov 2, 2024

Luke Glowacki, a Boston University anthropology professor specializing in the evolution of war, dives into the ancient origins of warfare. He challenges the belief that peace was the default state of early humans, discussing the roles of hunter-gatherers and archaeological evidence. The conversation touches on the absence of war in ancient cave art and comparisons between humans and primates like chimpanzees and bonobos. Glowacki emphasizes understanding conflict's evolutionary roots to foster cooperation and peace in contemporary society.

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Intro

00:00 • 3min

Exploring the Debate on War and Human Evolution

03:22 • 4min

Human Cooperation and Conflict in Evolution

07:06 • 20min

War and Art: Unraveling Human Conflict

26:49 • 8min

The Evolutionary Roots of Conflict and Cooperation

34:55 • 22min

Warfare and Borders in East Asia

56:51 • 5min

Navigating the Complexities of War and Peace

01:02:07 • 4min

Our ancestors did not wage war. Warfare emerged only when humans started settling down and storing food. Indeed, some modern hunter-gatherers still enjoy the peaceful existence that once was the natural state of our species.

Or so argued Douglas P. Fry, my guest in episode 8. I found many of his arguments convincing. For example, ancient cave art is surprisingly void of depictions of warfare. You can hear many more of his arguments in that episode, titled "Is War Natural For Humans?"

But not all scholars agree. Far from it. And I owe a voice to the other side of the debate. So here is an episode with one of the most thoughtful voices arguing for a deeper origins of war.

Luke Glowacki is a professor of anthropology at Boston University, where teaches courses on the evolution of war. And he believes that war has very ancient origins, indeed.

We had a very stimulating conversation, discussing topics such as:

(03:00) The debate: What can we all agree on? And what are the disagreements?

(12:10) Hunter-gatherers: Are they peaceful? And are they any good as models of the past?

(25:55) Archaeology: Cave paintings and broken bones

(34:55) Primatology: Chimpanzees and bonobos

(46:40) Implications: What can we learn from all this?

As always, we finish with my guest's reflections on humanity.

LINKS

Head here for links to relevant academic articles -- and the video of the chimpanzee raid!

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