Violence cannot be properly understood if it is approached as an Essay

Violence cannot be properly understood if it is approached as an evolutionary aspect of human nature'. Discuss - Essay Example Research related to sociopathy and psychopathy shows that violent activities are generally committed by individuals whose psychological functioning is different from normal individuals, which leads to the fact that violence should not be understood as an evolutionary aspect of human nature because there is a causal relationship between abnormal brain chemistry and violence. This paper intends to discuss this thesis statement. Violence cannot be understood as an Evolutionary Aspect of Human Nature Ferguson (2008, p.321) defines aggression or aggression control as evolutionary or adaptive traits of human nature; but, when he talks about violent behavior or violent anti-social behavior, he asserts that it is such an â€Å"aggressive behavior that is excessive or uncontrolled and results from either of two pathways† which include instrumental violence and reactive violence. The former type is related to â€Å"genetic contributions to aggressive personality traits† (Ferguson ) while the second type involves biological deficiency or damage in the impulse control system. Thus, we prove that violent behavior can be better understood if it is approached through genetic or biological aspects of human nature rather than evolutionary aspects. However, we cannot totally ignore the evolutionary aspects of human nature being responsible for violence. ... Among children, there are many psychological disorders that convert into violent behavior. Youth Violence (2001), A Report of the Surgeon General, has suggested that there are two developmental pathways leading to violence: Early- and Late-Onset Trajectories. â€Å"Children who commit their first serious violent act before puberty are in the early-onset group, whereas youths who do not become violent until adolescence are in the late-onset group† (Youth Violence, 2001). Disorders like Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD) which, at later stages, gets converted into Conduct Disorder, and Antisocial Personality Disorder are also responsible for the development of violence in one’s personality. The causes of ODD are mainly biological in addition to evolutionary. Damage or injuries to specific delicate areas of a child’s brain can cause his behavior to suffer which is a biological cause for ODD. Neurotransmitters, that are chemicals present in the brain, can also be he ld responsible for ODD as their abnormal levels in the brain hinder with the proper communication of neurons with each other causing their messages to not being transmitted throughout the nervous system. The presence of other psychiatric disorders like ADHD or mood disorders also initiates the occurrence of ODD in the child’s behavior. Studies have blamed the chemical serotonin to be chiefly responsible for oppositional, defiant, hostile and violent behavior. Aggression and violent behavior that occurs after puberty also involve abnormality in the hormone, testosterone. Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) is a psychiatric condition in which the individual becomes violent and violates other people’s rights because APD snatches away