Aggression

Aggression is one of the most basic human behaviors. The array of aggressive behaviors has evolved with humankind, taking more and more [Page 19]sophisticated forms. Among animals in natural settings aggressive interactions occur in the presence of conflict, for example, between males seeking mating opportunities or competing for territory and resources such as food and water. In humans, the struggle for survival developed over time through tribal intergroup raids to the most sophisticated form of violent human behaviors: modern wars in which aggression ostensibly aimed at group survival and gain is backed with existential and ideological rationale, armed fundamentalism, and ultramodern technologies that enable mass killing.

The notion of aggression appeared in the English language in the 17th century and originated from the Latin aggressio(n-), which ...