posted September 22, 2004 02:37 PM              

The statements on this Website are based on over 20 years of laboratory research on the evolution, brain mechanisms and dynamics of aggressive behavior in animals and humans. In the course of my research I had to change my guiding assumptions: at first I thought that aggression is a cause of the world's injustices; instead, I came to realize that the proper use of aggression in the form of righteous indignation is essential for peace activism and education.

The research is collected and summarized here as a 500-page Internet book entitled "The Aggression Systems: Human Aspects; Evolution; Brain Mechanisms; and Dynamics." It addresses animal and human aggression by techniques of neurophysiology, neuroanatomy, genetics, ethology and animal behavior, anthropology and developmental and social psychology and shows that the aggression systems are remarkably simple and stable throughout the evolution of mammals.

This research was reviewed extensively by leading specialists in the Behavioral and Brain Sciences in 1979. Since that time, a search of Science Citation Research reveals very little advance in debate on these questions, whether in terms of brain research, genetics, evolution or animal behavior. At the same time, there is a great deal of information on psycho-pharmacology of aggression, which, in my opinion, has not yet changed our fundamental understanding of the mechanisms of aggression. In order to stimulate a rebirth of debate on the nature of the aggression systems, I have opened a debate section, to which readers are invited to contribute. To do so, go to the guest book on this website or send your comments to adams3peace@aol.com.

This book is a scientific rebuttal of those who claim that war is inherent in human nature. It provides extensive scientific evidence on the nature of the aggression systems which shows that war and other institutional behaviors have no direct genetic or neurophysiological basis. Next time you hear some expert expound on the biological basis of warfare, ask him or her if they have recorded from single neurons or isolated single genes of aggressive behavior as in the data provided here. And ask if they have tried using methods such as cross-cultural anthropology as done here to get at the prehistoric cultural origins of these behaviors.

The Aggression Systems is not available in most libraries and although a number of its chapters were published in prestigious journals, a large part of the text is not available except in this form. If you are interested, I can send you a CD-ROM of The Aggression Systems at a reasonable price.

Table of Contents
Preface

Human Aggression - introduction

On the role of anger in war and peace

Anger vs. fear and pessimism (in consciousness development)

There is no instinct for war

Biology does not make men more aggressive than women

Why there are so few women warriors

The myth that war is intrinsic to human nature discourages action for peace by young people

The Seville Statement on Violence; A progress report

Evolution of Aggression - introduction

The role of anger in the consciousness development of peace activists: Where physiology and history intersect

Competitive and Territorial Fighting: Two Types of Offense in the Rat

Motivational systems of social behavior in male rats and monkeys: Are they homologous?

Motivational systems of agonistic behavior in muroid rodents: A comparative review and neural model

A genetic analysis of aggressive behavior in five inbred strains of rats, selected hybrids and backcrosses

Brain Mechanisms of Aggression - introduction

Defence and territorial behaviour dissociated by hypothalamic lesions in the rat

Ventromedial tegmental lesions abolish offense without disturbing predation or defense

Offense produced by chemical stimulation of the anterior hypothalamus of the rat

Ventrobasal thalamus necessary for visually-released defensive boxing of rat

Role of central gray in pain-induced defensive boxing of rats

The activity of single cells in the midbrain and hypothalamus of the cat during affective defense behavior

Brain mechanisms for offense, defense, and submission

Dynamics of Aggression - introduction

A dynamic psychoneural analysis of offense behavior in the rat

A statistical analysis of the social behavior of the male stumptail macaque (Macaca arctoides)

Inborn and acquired aspects of offense and defense motivational systems in muroid rodents: Role of memory

Hormone-brain interactions and their influence on agonistic behavior

Reproductive postponement and human depression

posted September 23, 2004 02:09 PM              

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This book is a scientific rebuttal of those who claim that war is inherent in human nature. It provides extensive scientific evidence on the nature of the aggression systems which shows that war and other institutional behaviors have no direct genetic or neurophysiological basis.

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