ABSTRACT
A perennial problem in human affairs is that of warfare; and since human beings are living organisms, it seems logical to suppose that at least some of the bases of warfare lie in the biological organization of Homo sapiens. This chapter reviews what is now known about the biological basis of group fighting and then goes ahead to relate this to knowledge derived from other fields. It reviews some of the instances of fighting that have now been thoroughly studied in various animal societies. Agonistic behavior is a well-established phenomenon in many species of bony fish. The levels of organization correspond to the subject matter of major academic disciplines, and it is obvious that if we are ever to achieve real understanding of human behavior. Behavior is modified by heredity, by physiological factors, by psychological factors such as learning, by social organization, and finally on the highest level by factors arising from ecological organization.
