Chapter 5 - War, What Is It Good For?

If we think of how many things besides the frontiers of state the wars of history have decided, we must feel some respectful awe, in spite of all the horrors. Our actual civilization, good and bad alike, has had past wars for its determining condition. -- William James

Looking at primitive societies, anthropologists have often characterized them as peaceful and benevolent. Close inspection does not show this to be true. Although sometimes not organized enough for what would conventionally be called 'war', most have homocide as a central part of culture. Archeological evidence suggests that this has been true throughout history, not just in surviving hunter-gatherer bands. And, as complexity increases, so does the scale of warfare.

Comrades In Arms

Although war seems to be distinctly zero-sum, and between societies this proves true, it is a major factor promoting non-zero-sum interactions within a society, or between societies with a joint enemy. Humans do not naturally want to give up their independence, but time and time agian they have done so in the face of a common enemy. Leadership is necessary to amass war technology in peacetime and make quick, decisive decisions in a war. Those societies with too much individualism to 'fall in line' have had a tendency to disappear -- the American revolutionary slogan 'join or die' is apt. The impetus given by war has been a central driving factor towards increased social complexity throughout history.

Pushing and Pulling

War can be seen as 'pushing' societies together, while trade and peaceful interactions can be seen as 'pulling' them together. Both are probably important, though it may be the case that war is the final impetus for groups united by trade to give up autonomy to a central leader.

Waging Peace

It might be noted that 'war', or at least conflict, is common enough to young societies that it could be though of as their natural state. In this view, the point worth studying is not the war, but how societies (or even individuals) avoid it. Also, the more one looks at it, the less distinction can be seen between 'push' and 'pull'. If a society makes a peaceful alliance with another society, it may be for the purpose of a wartime ally, or to free up troops for battle on another front. Waging war, on the other hand, promotes internal peace in a society, and may cause the cessation of hostilities on other fronts. War itsself can be non-zero-sum, in particular it can be negative-sum, damaging all participants. In this view, cultural evolution would select groups of societies who find a way out of this negative sum interaction to prevail over groups of societies who do not -- even if the victory of the 'peaceful' group of societies is by force.