Mike Martin, a Senior Visiting Fellow at King's College London and author of "Why We Fight," delves into the underlying drives behind warfare, positing that the quests for status and belonging intrigue us more than traditional justifications. He examines the psychology of conflict, revealing how group identity challenges can escalate violence. By analyzing historical and modern motivations for war, Martin offers insights into conflict prevention and emphasizes healthier expressions of masculinity that channel youthful energies positively.
War is primarily driven by the human desires for status and belonging, rather than resources or ideologies.
Leaders play a crucial role in the decision to go to war, driven by their own ambitions for status and competition with other leaders.
Deep dives
War is Driven by the Desire for Status and Belonging
War is not primarily fought over resources or ideologies, but rather driven by the innate human desires for status and belonging. These desires are deeply rooted in our evolutionary history and play a significant role in why individuals and nation-states go to war. The drive for status compels individuals to seek recognition and respect within their groups, often resulting in violent actions to gain higher social status. On the other hand, the drive to belong prompts individuals to form and defend their group identities, leading to conflicts between different groups. These drives interact and can escalate in the presence of leaders who have spent their lives fighting status challenges and ideologies that polarize different groups. By understanding these psychological underpinnings of war, we can more effectively address and prevent violence by addressing the need for status and promoting alternative ways of gaining recognition and belonging.
Leaders' Ambition for Status Contributes to War
Leaders, driven by their own ambitions for status and competition with other leaders, often play a crucial role in the decision to go to war. The desire for status and power motivates leaders to mobilize their groups and create narratives that justify their actions. These narratives, often centered around abstract ideals such as freedom, democracy, or religious beliefs, serve to unite and mobilize their followers. While these ideals may be genuine, they also serve as justification for their personal drive for status and the belonging of their groups. Understanding the underlying motivations of leaders and the psychological dynamics at play can help us grasp the true motivations behind conflicts and work towards more peaceful resolutions.
Abstract Ideas and Frameworks Shape War
Abstract ideas and frameworks, such as ideologies, moral codes, and religions, play a role in shaping the causes and narratives of war. These ideas provide a sense of direction and purpose for individuals and groups, helping them align their personal motivations and drives within a collective framework. By providing a common narrative, these abstract ideas can mobilize and unite individuals towards a shared cause, be it fighting for an ideology or defending a religious belief. Understanding the role of these ideas in war allows us to better comprehend and address the drivers of conflict, while also providing an avenue for de-escalation and peacebuilding efforts.
Harnessing the Drives for Positive Change
Recognizing the innate drives for status and belonging can help us shape more peaceful societies and prevent violence. Instead of ignoring or repressing these drives, we can work towards providing pro-social outlets for individuals to pursue their desire for status and group belonging. By understanding the psychological underpinnings of these drives, we can create structures and frameworks that promote positive competition, recognition, and a sense of belonging within communities. This involves finding ways to elevate individuals' social status through non-violent means, fostering a sense of belonging through community engagement, and promoting narratives that unite and empower individuals without fueling conflict. By harnessing these drives in constructive ways, we can create a more peaceful and harmonious world.
We often suppose that wars are fought over things like resources, border disputes, and ideologies. My guest calls this "the spreadsheet approach to war" and argues that, in reality, such factors only come in as justifications for the much deeper drives at play.
Mike Martin is a Senior Visiting Fellow in the Department of War Studies, King's College London and the author of Why We Fight. Today on the show, he draws on his background in biology and experience serving in the British army to offer an explanation as to why individuals and nation-states go to war. Mike argues that there are two fundamental impulses behind the drive to war: the drive for status and the drive for belonging. We discuss these motivations and how leaders and ideologies corral and amplify them. We end our conversation with how this view of war could prevent conflicts and allow them to be fought more successfully, and also be a lens for how to help men flourish in a healthy way.
