"When and why did we invent war?" Topic

"Human history is filled with conflict. Some of that conflict takes place on a small level involving only a few people -- sometimes the battle takes place within a single person's mind. But other conflicts span regions and can stretch on for decades. Over the centuries, humans have described war as everything from a glorious struggle to a pointless, violent and inhuman activity. Have we always made war upon one another?

To answer the question, we first must define war. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, war is the "state of usually open and declared armed hostile conflict between states or nations." That definition helps us narrow down when humans invented war. If we're talking about states or nations, we must focus on early civilizations. Before civilization, all humans were tribal and at least somewhat nomadic. It was only after we developed agriculture and settled down that we could build the resources needed for war…."
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Amicalement
Armand

"It was only after we developed agriculture and settled down that we could build the resources needed for war…".

Tribes practiced warfare too, so the premise is wrong.

Even our simian relatives engage in war.

I think the real question would be "When does conflict become war."

It's almost impossible to imagine that there never was a clash over who shot what animal or one group of hunter-gatherers deciding that a certain area held by another made for a better place to make a living from.

These would be conflicts and if ongoing, feuds.

I'd say war requires a certain level of organization not only to practice war, but also be able to maintain it and resist its negative aspects.

Basic Hunter-gatherer communities simply do not have the population and resources to practice full scale war, you need some degree of organization to keep if not a caste of combat capable people, be able to spare enough people for a certain duration, and provide them with the proper tools and also be able to resist at attack.

so we could have something to game about

Because some people can't leave other people alone and want to take their stuff.
You see it every day on the media. People think they know better than you how to use your land and property. If you don't use it "correctly" they will take it. When people get tired of being told what to do and what to give up you get war.

You could just as easily ask, "Why and when did we invent peace".

Life and death,
War and peace,
Yin and yang.

(smile)

Amicalement
Armand

Even our simian relatives engage in war.

Chimpanzee bands run "border patrols" on their territories. Agriculture is not necessary for territoriality. Very possibly the opposite.

There's not much of a bigger step when realizing that if your tribe is co-operating taking down a giant herd-beast to figuring out "Hey, we can gang up on those people over there."