Anthropology subject: consider the extent to which violence is conventionally assumed to be an expression of an aberrant human nature or a lack of civilisation

The paper ” Violence as an Expression of Aberrant Human Nature or Lack of Civilization” is a great example of an essay on anthropology. Violence is conventionally regarded as an inhumane and uncivilized action. The societies that acknowledge themselves as civilized or want other societies to consider them civilized, try to stay away from any kind of violence in order to maintain their identity as a peace-loving society. In normal conditions, there is no violence. Violence is there when there is some abnormal condition, its consideration as civilized or uncivilized is to be argued, so, the consideration of violence as an expression of aberrant human nature or lack of civilization is not absolutely true. However, it is seen that civilized nations and societies as well as uncivilized, all are also involved in violence or violent acts. This essay takes into consideration the issue of violence as an expression of aberrant human nature and lack of civilization by the help of authorial writings. Violence, an Expression of an Aberrant Human Nature or Lack of Civilization
In wars, violence is there and wars are fought for multiple purposes such as attainment of a land, acquirement of power and wealth, taking revenge, safeguarding one’s country and much more. No matter for what purpose, war is fought but it necessarily recruits violence. Wars can never be considered nonviolent. Wars are not considered to be fought by uncivilized nations, as the so-called civilized nations as well as the considered uncivilized nations, both have fought wars. Wars have always ended with drastic and annihilating consequences.
America started a war against Iraq for the reasons that Iraqi people do have the freedom to lead their lives according to their wills and also that they are under authoritarian government (Whitehead 2004). For the abolition of the authoritarian government in Iraq, America fought a much violent war, which affected the whole country largely. America is regarded as a civilized nation and is also liberal as it allows freedom to its people but what it has done in Iraq cannot be regarded as an expression of a civilized nation. It has depicted itself the most uncivilized nation of the world but is extremely violent in Iraq. According to Whitehead (2004), violence is also a cultural expression (1). Violence cannot be associated with a lack of civilization as defined by European authorities. The regions, which are regarded uncivilized have suffered violence from the so-called civilized nations.
Crime is also a form of violence because for doing criminal acts, the criminals are involved in doing violence. Whatever they do whether robbery, murder or hijacking, they take refuge of violence to do the crime. O’ Brien informs that culture and crime are somehow are related to one another (O’ Brien 2005). Sometimes, violence and crime are analyzed in terms of its culture. O’ Brien also informs that with the lens of culture, the criminal acts can be easily understood (O’ Brien 2005). Therefore, it can be said that culture and civilization are helpful in identifying the nature of crime and violence. In other words, it can be said that violence is not connected with lack of civilization but with civilization.
The military is employed in a country to do violence remaining civilized. In wars, the military is there to do violence and the militarization is not considered uncivilized because they are regarded as doing a service to their country and nation but in actuality, they are involved in doing violence. In wars, individuals are divided into groups and the violence that they do is regarded as civilized (Simons 1999). According to Simons (1999), war is a byproduct of human beings living in groups (76).
Previously, when the man was uncivilized, still he used to fight in groups and now when the man is civilized, still, he fights in groups. Civilization has not changed violence but the methodology of violence. Now, violence is thereby permission of civilized forces as has happened in Iraq and Afghanistan. Violence has always existed and it cannot be connected to uncivilized people or society.
Conclusion
Therefore, violence cannot be regarded as the expression of lack of civilization or aberrant human nature but it is a part of human nature whether he is civilized or uncivilized. Wars are a form of violence in which, the warriors do every kind of violent acts to win the war. Crime is also a form of violence because like warriors, criminals also try to conduct the crime by the help of violence. Violence is not dependent on being uncivilized or civilized. It has been done historically by civilized societies as well as uncivilized societies.