The Human Potential for Peace: An Anthropological Challenge to Assumptions about War and Violence

The Human Potential for Peace provides a clearly written, critical reevaluation of anthropological findings on violence, war, peace, and conflict management. Drawing upon anthropological data from both cultural studies and evolutionary biology, Douglas Fry challenges the traditional view that humans are naturally violent and warlike and argues that we, in fact, possess a strong ability to prevent, limit, and resolve conflicts. He examines several highly publicized anthropological controversies, including Freeman's analysis of Margaret Mead's writings on Samoan warfare; Napoleon Chagnon's claims about the Yanomami; and ongoing debates about whether "hunter-gatherers" are peaceful or warlike. The book features short ethnographic examples, findings from Fry's research among the Zapotec of Mexico, and results of cross-cultural studies on warfare. It also includes descriptions of peaceful societies and archaeological material illustrating that peacemaking and conflict resolution patterns do exist across cultures.