Why War? by Richard Overy
9 out of 10A long pondered question. No single answer.
BIOLOGY: Eliminate the weak. Elevate the fit. Fight for food and mates. Defend close kin.
PSYCHOLOGY: Infant aggression. Cult of manliness. Risk and endorphins. Advertisements. Propaganda. Ingroup virtue. Outgroup wickedness. Followership.
ANTHROPOLOGY: Tools. Weapons. Fortifications. Ceremonial masicures. Trophies. Economics. Arms races. Looting. Protecting trade routes. Profits. Spoils. Tribute. Hierarchical competitions. Social status. Becoming king.
ECOLOGY: Floods. Famines. Droughts. Plagues. Overpopulation. Lebensraum. Scarcity induced cannibalism.
We fight for gold, oil, and slaves. We fight for governing ideology, dogma, and to appease the gods. We fight for leaders who are drunk on conquest, want to rule the world, and are self-declared deities. We fight to secure our interests from raiders, bandits, and pirates. We fight if we underestimate our neighbors. We fight if we overestimate our neighbors.