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Shaking the tyrant's bloody robe.
Jordan Kiper1, Richard Sosis1,2
1* University of Connecticut.
Summary
Group violence, including ethnoreligious conflict, is complex. This study examines its evolutionary roots and triggers, finding identity fusion and manipulated religious systems central to ethnoreligious violence, particularly in Yugoslavia.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary psychology
- Social neuroscience
- Conflict studies
Background:
- Group violence presents numerous forms and causes, with poorly understood interrelations.
- Ethnoreligious violence, a specific form, requires deeper investigation through modern scientific lenses.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the evolution and triggers of group violence.
- To analyze ethnoreligious violence using behavioral and brain sciences.
- To examine the causes and characteristics of violence during Yugoslavia's disintegration.
Main Methods:
- Literature review of evolutionary, behavioral, and brain sciences.
- Analysis of ethnoreligious violence characteristics.
- Case study of Yugoslavia's wars of disintegration.
Main Results:
- Group violence has evolutionary roots and is influenced by environmental and psychological triggers.
- Ethnoreligious violence is characterized by identity fusion and manipulation of religious elements.
- Specific confluence of causes and characteristics observed during Yugoslavia's wars.
Conclusions:
- Understanding group violence requires integrating evolutionary, psychological, and social factors.
- Identity fusion and religious manipulation are key to ethnoreligious violence.
- The Yugoslav wars exemplify the complex interplay of factors leading to extreme group violence.