Darwin and international relations : on the evolutionary origins of war and ethnic conflict / Bradley A. Thayer.

Includes bibliographical references (pages 364-409) and index.

Introduction : recognizing Darwin's revolution -- 1. Evolutionary theory and its application to social science -- 2. Evolutionary theory, realism, and rational choice -- 3. Evolutionary theory and war -- 4. Implications of an evolutionary understanding of war -- 5. Evolutionary theory and ethnic conflict.

"Darwin and International Relations refocuses the study of international affairs through the lens of evolutionary theory. Bradley A. Thayer provides a new framework for investigating and explaining human and state behavior, offering penetrating insights into the origins of human and animal warfare, ethnic conflict, and the influence of epidemiology on international relations." "Using ethnological and statistical studies of warfare among tribal societies, Thayer argues that humans wage war for reasons predicted by evolutionary theory - to gain and protect vital resources. He also examines the physically and emotionally stimulating effects of combat, concluding that the threat of external attack has rapidly advanced the evolution of human intelligence and social development." "Thayer demonstrates that an evolutionary understanding of disease will soon become a vital part of the study of international relations as new strains of diseases emerge and advances in genetics make biological weaponry a more effective tool for states and terrorists. He also explains the roots of ethnic conflict by illuminating how xenophobia and ethnocentrism have played a significant role in human evolution. These socially and biologically conditioned responses contributed to our ancestors' success by protecting them from disease, and although human evolution took place in a dramatically different environment, these traits remain a part of us today." "An examination of how ancient human behaviors of war and ethnic conflict continue to afflict the modern era, Darwin and International Relations makes a major contribution to our understanding of human history and international relations."--BOOK JACKET.