210 THE SOCIAL LIFE OF ANIMALS 



much beyond that found in some of the semi- or 

 quasi-social animal aggregations which we have been 

 considering in the lower animals. 



Among the possible aspects of human behavior 

 that meet this requirement and that lend themselves 

 to biological analyses is the whole set of activities 

 that center about the relations between nations. 

 Even the most optimistic humanist will not main- 

 tain that these are at present, or ever have been, on 

 as high a social plane as that which characterizes 

 many of the personal interactions of mankind, or 

 those of the smaller social groupings of men. 



The most casual reading of recent events is con- 

 vincing evidence that the modern international sys- 

 tem is based on war. This final resort to violence 

 has been regarded by many thoughtful people as in- 

 evitable, man being what he is, that is, the product 

 by natural selection of the results produced by the 

 struggle for existence; for the ordinary thoughtful 

 person is not aware that the tendency toward a strug- 

 gle for existence is balanced and opposed by the 

 strong influence of the co-operative urge. Because 

 of this common attitude toward war, and because 

 of its fundamental importance to our species, I pro- 

 pose to cut through the shifting tangle of interna- 

 tional policies down to the basic biological signifi- 

 cance which it holds for us. 



