War and Human Nature

Nonfiction, History, Military, Strategy, Social & Cultural Studies, Political Science
Cover of the book War and Human Nature by Stephen Peter Rosen, Princeton University Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Stephen Peter Rosen ISBN: 9781400826360
Publisher: Princeton University Press Publication: February 9, 2009
Imprint: Princeton University Press Language: English
Author: Stephen Peter Rosen
ISBN: 9781400826360
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Publication: February 9, 2009
Imprint: Princeton University Press
Language: English

Why did President John F. Kennedy choose a strategy of confrontation during the Cuban missile crisis even though his secretary of defense stated that the presence of missiles in Cuba made no difference? Why did large numbers of Iraqi troops surrender during the Gulf War even though they had been ordered to fight and were capable of doing so? Why did Hitler declare war on the United States knowing full well the power of that country?

War and Human Nature argues that new findings about the way humans are shaped by their inherited biology may help provide answers to such questions. This seminal work by former Defense Department official Stephen Peter Rosen contends that human evolutionary history has affected the way we process the information we use to make decisions. The result is that human choices and calculations may be very different from those predicted by standard models of rational behavior.

This notion is particularly true in the area of war and peace, Rosen contends. Human emotional arousal affects how people learn the lessons of history. For example, stress and distress influence people's views of the future, and testosterone levels play a role in human social conflict. This thought-provoking and timely work explores the mind that has emerged from the biological sciences over the last generation. In doing so, it helps shed new light on many persistent puzzles in the study of war.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Why did President John F. Kennedy choose a strategy of confrontation during the Cuban missile crisis even though his secretary of defense stated that the presence of missiles in Cuba made no difference? Why did large numbers of Iraqi troops surrender during the Gulf War even though they had been ordered to fight and were capable of doing so? Why did Hitler declare war on the United States knowing full well the power of that country?

War and Human Nature argues that new findings about the way humans are shaped by their inherited biology may help provide answers to such questions. This seminal work by former Defense Department official Stephen Peter Rosen contends that human evolutionary history has affected the way we process the information we use to make decisions. The result is that human choices and calculations may be very different from those predicted by standard models of rational behavior.

This notion is particularly true in the area of war and peace, Rosen contends. Human emotional arousal affects how people learn the lessons of history. For example, stress and distress influence people's views of the future, and testosterone levels play a role in human social conflict. This thought-provoking and timely work explores the mind that has emerged from the biological sciences over the last generation. In doing so, it helps shed new light on many persistent puzzles in the study of war.

More books from Princeton University Press

Cover of the book Noir Urbanisms by Stephen Peter Rosen
Cover of the book The Quotable Feynman by Stephen Peter Rosen
Cover of the book Principles of Animal Locomotion by Stephen Peter Rosen
Cover of the book Men of Bronze by Stephen Peter Rosen
Cover of the book Louis Bachelier's Theory of Speculation by Stephen Peter Rosen
Cover of the book Timefulness by Stephen Peter Rosen
Cover of the book Death to Tyrants! by Stephen Peter Rosen
Cover of the book Mathematics in Ancient Egypt by Stephen Peter Rosen
Cover of the book Classical Greek Oligarchy by Stephen Peter Rosen
Cover of the book The History of American Higher Education by Stephen Peter Rosen
Cover of the book The Crossley ID Guide by Stephen Peter Rosen
Cover of the book True Faith and Allegiance by Stephen Peter Rosen
Cover of the book Quantum Philosophy by Stephen Peter Rosen
Cover of the book Law, Politics, and Morality in Judaism by Stephen Peter Rosen
Cover of the book Islamic Political Ethics by Stephen Peter Rosen
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy