Status
Available
Call number
Publication
Harper Paperbacks (1974), Edition: First Edition, 324 pages
Description
First published in the 1960s, On Aggression has been the target of criticism and controversy ever since. It is not Lorenz's careful descriptions of animal behaviour that are contentious, but his extrapolations to the human world that have caused reverberations resulting in a statement adopted by UNESCO in 1989 and subsequently endorsed by the American Psychological Association that appears to condemn his work. But does On Aggression actually make the claims implicit in the Seville statement?In a new introduction by Professor Eric Salzen, the debate about Lorenz's work is set in its social and political context and his claims and those of his critics reassessed. Human aggression has not lessened since this seminal work first appeared and there are no convincing new solutions. On Aggression should be read by all new students and re-read by more experienced scholars so that the important evidence he presents from ethnology may be reappraised in the light of the most recent research.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member FPdC
The english translation of the german original Das Sogenannte Böse, Zur Naturgeschichte der Aggression, this book is a masterpiece. A brilliant essay on animal behaviour by an outstanding scientist, with deep insights into human nature and society. Outstanding!
LibraryThing member Library_user_3.0
Konrad Lorenz proposed in “On Aggression” the theory that the violence is something good and necessary for all the animals. Self-defense would be the reason why species have developed this mechanism of behavior over the centuries. Unfortunately, Lorenz had a big knowledge about animals, but he
Fromm realized that Lorenz didn't see that in the humans (and in other species) there are other types of aggression, in addition to the defensive. When soldiers of an army, with imperialist intentions, invade a country that is not their country, they do not use a defensive violence. The aggressiveness of a serial killer is criminal and evil. Policemen and mercenaries on the pay of a political dictator, do not use violence for defensive purposes, but to terrorize and dominate the citizens of a country. The aggressiveness of animals is much more complex than Lorenz thought. It is very difficult to understand this subject by studying only ducks and rats. To understand it, it is necessary to study, in addition, history, psychology and religion.
Richard Dawkins is another writer who, in his book “The Selfish Gene”, has made critics to Lorenz's positive vision of violence postulated in “On Aggression”.
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did not understand this matter in all its complexity. Erich Fromm, in his book “The Anatomy of Human Destructiveness”, made a total critique of the theories that Lorenz proposed in“On Aggression”. And, it seems clear that Fromm was right.Fromm realized that Lorenz didn't see that in the humans (and in other species) there are other types of aggression, in addition to the defensive. When soldiers of an army, with imperialist intentions, invade a country that is not their country, they do not use a defensive violence. The aggressiveness of a serial killer is criminal and evil. Policemen and mercenaries on the pay of a political dictator, do not use violence for defensive purposes, but to terrorize and dominate the citizens of a country. The aggressiveness of animals is much more complex than Lorenz thought. It is very difficult to understand this subject by studying only ducks and rats. To understand it, it is necessary to study, in addition, history, psychology and religion.
Richard Dawkins is another writer who, in his book “The Selfish Gene”, has made critics to Lorenz's positive vision of violence postulated in “On Aggression”.
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LibraryThing member ablueidol
Neglects external and learned explanations of aggression. and so argues for innate genetic models alone. Assumes that animal studies can explain human social behaviour. Not even clear if instincts are a valid concept as linked to idea of nerves as being for energy flow rather then information flow.
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But say like the classical 19th century thinkers it usful to help start a discussion Show Less
LibraryThing member isabelx
This book is a study of aggression in animals, where aggression refers to intra-species conflict for mating rights and territory, and also for protection of the young (against members of the same species or others). Having discussed aggression, ritual behaviour, instincts and the role of displaced
The most interesting part of the book comes at the end, where Lorenz discusses the role of aggression in human culture and relationships and compares us to other animals. One thing he suggests is that war is possible because man did not evolve as a predator, with teeth or claws that could kill another member of the species with a single blow. Therefore humans did not develop the inhibitions that prevent predators from fighting to the death, so when we invented weapons there was noting to restrain us from using them to wage war and kill huge numbers of our own species.
Anonymity of the person to be attacked greatly facilitates the releasing of aggressive behaviour. It is an observation familiar to anybody who has travelled in trains that well-bred people behave atrociously towards strangers in the territorial defence of their compartment. When they discover that the intruder is an acquaintance, however casual, there is an amazing and ridiculous switch in their behaviour from extreme rudeness to exaggerated and extreme politeness.
Written in the early sixties, this probably isn't the most up to date book on the subject that you could find, but it is still very interesting.
The cover picture, "Lion Attacking a Horse" by George Stubbs was badly chosen, as early on in the book the author makes it clear that inter-species predation is not motivated by aggression, so a picture of a horse protecting its foal against a lion would have been relevant to the book's topic, but a picture of a lion attacking a horse is not.
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aggression, he moves onto discuss various types of intra-specific relationships. Starting with flocking animals and shoaling fish where there are no individual relationships between members of the shoal or flock, and moving on via creatures like rats where the pack is violently aggressive to any rat that isn't a member of their pack, he finally comes to creatures that do have personal bonds with their mate and children, and even with 'friends', such as greylag geese.The most interesting part of the book comes at the end, where Lorenz discusses the role of aggression in human culture and relationships and compares us to other animals. One thing he suggests is that war is possible because man did not evolve as a predator, with teeth or claws that could kill another member of the species with a single blow. Therefore humans did not develop the inhibitions that prevent predators from fighting to the death, so when we invented weapons there was noting to restrain us from using them to wage war and kill huge numbers of our own species.
Anonymity of the person to be attacked greatly facilitates the releasing of aggressive behaviour. It is an observation familiar to anybody who has travelled in trains that well-bred people behave atrociously towards strangers in the territorial defence of their compartment. When they discover that the intruder is an acquaintance, however casual, there is an amazing and ridiculous switch in their behaviour from extreme rudeness to exaggerated and extreme politeness.
Written in the early sixties, this probably isn't the most up to date book on the subject that you could find, but it is still very interesting.
The cover picture, "Lion Attacking a Horse" by George Stubbs was badly chosen, as early on in the book the author makes it clear that inter-species predation is not motivated by aggression, so a picture of a horse protecting its foal against a lion would have been relevant to the book's topic, but a picture of a lion attacking a horse is not.
Show Less
LibraryThing member dbsovereign
Required reading in college. Basically a treatise on aggression and how it manifests itself in nature (and in us). Puts "militant enthusiasm" on the map for the first time and is therefore a ground-breaking book. "The obvious conclusion is that love and friendship should embrace all humanity, that
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we should love all human brothers indescriminately." Show Less
LibraryThing member DinadansFriend
An interesting study of the triggers for aggressive behaviour for Fish, birds and mammals. A seminal study it has often been reprinted and drawn from since its publication in 1962
Awards
Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1963 (German)
1966 (English: Wilson)
Physical description
324 p.; 8.4 x 1 inches
ISBN
0156687410 / 9780156687416