ANT 324 - War, Peace, and Human Nature

4 credits

Are humans inherently warlike or peaceful? Through the lenses of the biological and cultural anthropology, the history and philosophy of science, and archaeology - you will seek answers to this and related questions. Together, we will investigate human conflict and cooperation across time and geographic space using research papers, podcast and infographic creation, cross-cultural comparisons, experimental archaeology, animal behavioral observation, and other hands-on projects. We will explore famous case studies, theories and models, including “the killer ape,” “the war of all against all,” and “man the hunted.” We will also see how revolutionary explanations for warfare and inequality implicating all of humanity equally may obfuscate the root causes of these phenomena and even confuse victims with perpetrators.

Prerequisite: ANT 280 with grade S, C, or better.
Note: Not offered every year.
Instructor: Marshack