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Warfare Is Not a Necessity

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Warfare: An Invention— Not a Biological Necessity
Margaret Mead

Margret Mead writes an essay, “Warfare: An Invention-Not a Biological Necessity” to show us warfare and to summarize how warfare was invented. Throughout her essay, she writes of three different world views of warfare and how others might view it. She also shares her view on warfare and how other cultures have treated warfare.
Mead shows us three different world views in this essay. The first view talks about an aggressive and competitive human nature who is down to the very basic of needs. Those who take this view Mead points out wish to outlaw war or at least find different ways of competing given that it is part of man’s nature to fight and go to war.
The second view that Mead points out is that warfare is inevitable. Those who take this stance feel that there is a struggle for power and possessions unless we change our social system and completely change what we have between our lower class, middle class, and our higher class. They feel that if the classes simply disappear than there wouldn’t be any more problems.
The third view that comes forth between the two major extremes is that each man’s biological determines his needs. When his needs are met because each culture had its own frustrations, war will be inevitable and natural.
Moreover, Mead has her own view that she would like to share. She would like us to recognize that warfare can be between two groups as groups (and each groups fights and kills each other). She goes on to share that warfare is an invention like anything else; for example: cooking or writing which is necessary anywhere in history. Throughout history, there have been many cultures that have been touched by warfare but the Eskimos are one culture who has neither understood war nor undergone war. For others like simple and civilized people, they will go to war

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