Act of Human-to-Human Violence

An Act of Human-to-Human Violence is an act of conspecific violence between humans.

• • …
• Example(s):
  • an Assault.
  • …
• Counter-Example(s):
  • an Act of Human-to-Animal Violence (such as in factory farming and animal experiments).
  • an Act of Chimpanzee-to-Chimpanzee Violence (between Chimpanzees).
  • an Act of Human-to-Human Kindness (kindness).
• See: Violence, Violence Prevention.

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References

2016

• (Gómez et al., 2016) ⇒ José María Gómez, Miguel Verdú, Adela González-Megías, and Marcos Méndez. (2016). “The Phylogenetic Roots of Human Lethal Violence.” In: Nature, advance online publication. doi:10.1038/nature19758
  • QUOTE: The psychological, sociological and evolutionary roots of conspecific violence in humans are still debated, despite attracting the attention of intellectuals for over two millennia. Here we propose a conceptual approach towards understanding these roots based on the assumption that aggression in mammals, including humans, has a significant phylogenetic component. By compiling sources of mortality from a comprehensive sample of mammals, we assessed the percentage of death due to conspecifics and, using phylogenetic comparative tools, predicted this value for humans. The proportion of human deaths phylogenetically predicted to be caused by interpersonal violence stood at 2%.

2014

• (Kapitan, 2014) ⇒ Tomis Kapitan. (2014). “The Reign of ‘Terror’.” In: NYTimes Blogs 2014-10-19
  • QUOTE: … As long as groups perceive themselves to be victims of intolerable injustices and view their oppressors as unwilling to arrive at an acceptable compromise, they are likely to answer violence with more violence. …

2011

• (Pinker, 2011) ⇒ Steven Pinker. (2011). “The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence Has Declined.” Viking New York. ISBN:978-0-670-02295-3

2001

• (Gilligan, 2001) ⇒ James Gilligan. (2001). “Preventing Violence.” Thames & Hudson,
  • BOOK OVERVIEW: … Violence is most often addressed in moral and legal terms: "How evil is this action, and how much punishment does it deserve?" Unfortunately, this way of thinking, the basis for our legal and political institutions, does nothing to shed light on the causes of violence. Violent criminals have been Gilligan's teachers, and he has been their student. Prisons are microcosms of the societies in which they exist, and by examining them in detail, we can learn about society as a whole. Gilligan suggests treating violence as a public health problem.

1996a

• (Gilligan, 1996) ⇒ James Gilligan. (1996). “Violence: Reflections on a National Epidemic.” Vintage,
  • QUOTE: … The purpose of violence is to diminish the intensity of shame and replace it as far as possible with its opposite, pride, thus preventing the individual from being overwhelmed by the feeling of shame. …

1991

• (Rosenberg & Fenley, 1991) ⇒ Mark L. Rosenberg, and Mary Ann Fenley, eds. (1991). “Violence in America: A public health approach.” New York: Oxford University Press, 1991.

~400BC

• Book of Genesis.
  • QUOTE: … The Lord looked with favor on Abel and his offering, 5 but on Cain and his offering he did not look with favor. So Cain was very angry, and his face was downcast. … Now Cain said to his brother Abel, “Let’s go out to the field.” While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him. …

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