On the Role of Anger in War and Peace
IV. War Is a Social Institution not an Instinct Page 4

Title Page
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I. Introduction
Page 1
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II. There is no Instinct for War
Page 2
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III. Why There Are So Few Women Warriors
Pages 3
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IV. History of Warfare
Pages 4
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V. Warfare and Marriage
Page 5
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VI. Conclusion
Page 6
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Notes and References
Page 7


Warfare is not simply the sum of individual behavioral acts, but it is a social institution and should be studied as such. We should study it in the same way that we would study other social institutions such as marriage, slavery, colonialism, state formations, international organizations, economic institutions, etc.

One thing is clear from the study of social institutions; they are transformed and may even be abolished during the course of history. Colonialism and slavery may be cited as examples. There used to be many arguments claiming that slavery was based in human instincts and that it could not be abolished for that reason. Now we hear similar arguments about warfare.

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