ABSTRACT
Warfare is an instance of collective action in which members of one group impose physical damage upon one or more members of another group. Anger is a universal human emotion, experienced in a similar fashion across cultures and individuals. An analysis of hatred indicates contrasting design to anger. Rather than attempting to recalibrate a target and restore deference and cooperation, hatred appears designed to limit or eliminate a target whose existence is damaging to the hate-filled person. Anger and hatred have distinct functions, and therefore they are predicted to have distinct triggers. The recalibrational theory of anger states that the primary evolved function of anger is to recalibrate the target’s welfare trade-off ratio. Anger-based aggression is strikingly similar to these contests. A typical bout of anger-based aggression involves assessment, posturing, and the deployment of the universal “anger face”.
