When we look at mankind from his earliest points of leaving the cave and venturing out into the world, one of the facts that presents itself most prominently is man’s tendency towards warfare.
It is curious that the most mentally evolved of creatures known to this planet should seek the destruction of those among its own species. From his earliest points of what would evolve into modern Homo Sapiens, humanity has shown the innate tendencies of utilizing his superior intelligence for not only shaping the world around him to the satisfaction of what resides within his psyche, but also impressing his will upon his fellow creatures in a most violent manner…some might deem this to be understandable from a purely biological tendency such as Natural Selection, but this tendency goes well beyond mere instincts toward territorial boundaries and breeding rights; it seems that one of the first manifestations of true human consciousness is in fact warfare, along with the tendency to create such things as basic tools, art, language and religion.
When we look at other primates, we can see that they too have a slight tendency towards aggression, but this trait is not carried as far as it has been pressed within our species, or these creatures would have developed greater and greater technologies to facilitate more effective forms of warfare at the level of weapons, communication, and strategy…when we look at the history of the human race, it becomes clear that mankind has evolved to the point that we are currently at through the contant refinement of warfare, with many of our other technological advances growing out as by-products in our quest for a more efficient way way to subvert our fellow man with weapons and techniques of war.
Could it be that the human psyche itself is warlike by nature? History tells us that this is indeed the case, as reinforced by archaeological finds from the earliest points in man’s existence (spearheads, arrowheads & axes), not to mention the predominance of war in recorded history; I will go so far as to suggest that the warlike nature of the human psyche is in fact the evolutionary catalyst that has propelled us forward through the ages to build empires, create art & poetry and communicate in more effective ways…all of which are manifestations of the human psyche.
Through these manifestations of the psyche, we are compelled to quest for that which is yet unknown to us, and that which is unknown to us pulls us forward towards further evolution; in essence, we have an inner drive to press forward (which may be described as warlike or passionate), and there is an outer pull that draws us forward as well (that which is yet unknown or beyond our present experience.)
As we quest for these matters outside ourselves, there is also a drive to seek out that which is hidden within us as well…the same curiousity that drives us to seek the mysteries of the objective universe spurs us on to seek that which is within…this tendency shows that mankind is not merely content with understanding the objective universe for his further gain, but seeks understanding of the Self that lays hidden within him. It is this tendency in the nature of the human psyche that shows us that the warlike nature of humanity is not merely concerned with the destruction of opposition, but the realization of greater forms of power through Self Knowledge…you might say that this quest for knowledge is in fact a refinement of the warlike tendency that is latent in the psyche of man.