Hugo Meijer is invited by Pr Jean-Jacques Hublin.
Abstract
What are the origins of war and peace? Our species, Homo sapiens, presents a remarkable paradox: we are the only species capable of both lethal conflict and extensive peaceful cooperation between groups. While some species engage in inter-group conflict (e.g. chimpanzees, wolves and ants), others demonstrate limited inter-group cooperation (e.g. bonobos and dolphins), but no other species combines these two behaviors on such a scale and with such complexity. By integrating data from a wide range of disciplines (biology, primatology, anthropology, archaeology, genetics, neuroscience, criminology, social psychology, linguistics, demography and climatology), the book presented by Hugo Meijer - Janus-faced: The Origins of War and Peace in the Human Species - analyzes the biological, cultural and environmental factors that help us to understand when and why this duality, which distinguishes us within the animal kingdom, emerged during the human lineage.
