Tag Archives: Aggression

Fortunes of War

Posted on November 11, 2024 by N.S. Palmer

In the United States, November 11 is Veterans Day, first celebrated in 1919. Back in 1919 it was called Armistice Day, commemorating the 1918 armistice that ended what Americans originally called the European War. When the European War started, Americans … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Political Science, Psychology, Science | Tagged Aggression, Human Nature, Peace, Veterans Day, War, War profiteering | 2 Comments

Do WMDs Make Religion Too Risky?

Posted on March 27, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

On his blog, philosopher Eric Kaplan posed a serious question (paraphrased here): If our weapons can destroy all life on earth, can we still afford to believe in a God who plays favorites? People sometimes claim that God is “… … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Epistemology, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Philosophy, Psychology | Tagged Aggression, Atheism, Belief in God, Kin Selection, Philosophy of Religion, Religion, Sapolsky, Steven Weinberg, Theism, War | 3 Comments

Don’t Be Seduced By Hate

Posted on March 3, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

We’re all a mixture of good and bad impulses. That’s not new. Alexander Pope observed in 1734: “Virtuous and vicious every man must be, Few in the extreme, but all in the degree, The rogue and fool by fits is … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Life, Political Science, Psychology | Tagged Aggression, Blaming Others, Hatred, Internet addiction, Projection, Social Conflict | Leave a comment

Ending the Violence, Part 2

Posted on December 27, 2015 by N.S. Palmer

My new blog post for The Jerusalem Post: As I discussed in last week’s blog post, human violence has some specific biological causes: kin selection, territoriality, and lack of empathy. We are created in God’s image spiritually, but our bodies … Continue reading →

Posted in Judaism, The Jerusalem Post | Tagged Aggression, Evolutionary Psychology, Intifada, Kin Selection, Peace, Public Choice, Talmud, Territoriality, Terrorism, Violence | Leave a comment

Ending the Violence, Part 1

Posted on December 19, 2015 by N.S. Palmer

My latest blog post for The Jerusalem Post: “The road to disaster is paved with pleasant illusions, and the way to deal with evil is not to ignore it,”1 advised Abraham Joshua Heschel. The English philosopher Francis Bacon wasn’t Jewish, … Continue reading →