Defense Paper:

I have decided to write a short story about humans as seen through the eyes of a narrator who
is not human, someone who watches from afar. I wrote this story based largely on the
conclusions I have drawn through research into war and conflict.
My initial question was Why do groups come into conflict? Thanks to my research, I now
believe I have an answer to that question, and have posed a second, more philosophical one:
Is war inevitable?
Based upon my research, I can provide the answer to my first question easily.safely conclude
that group Group conflicts require two conditions to be fulfilled: first, a resource that is valued
and/or scarce (Smith 1), to provide the source of a conflict; second, an unwillingness by one or
more parties to act rationally or come to a peaceful understanding. Under these conditions, I
believe war and conflict to be an inevitability, as Earth possesses a finite quantity of resources,
and human beings are not, strictly speaking, rational creatures, especially when dealing with a
perceived threat. This is backed up byPpsychological research, which has demonstrated that
groups are, collectively, less inhibited and more prone to aggressive actions than individuals
(Source 2), and many psychologists agree bonds are most easily formed against a common
enemy (Jeffrey 3). Combined with a limited quantity of resources at our present stage of
technological development- oil, one of our most valuable resources, is slated to run out within
decades, while water is nearly as threatened- and you have a recipe for disaster, especially
given that humans now have the capacity to destroy our world nigh-instantaneously, via nuclear
weaponry.
Oh, and we are literally part Neanderthal (Pinkowski, 5)
The story I have written is intended to show the worst, most self-destructive part of humanity,
and it accomplishes this by giving little to no hint that humans are the ones under the
metaphorical microscope, stripping away assumptions and biases before revealing the truth. I
intend for the audience of the story to be, well, anyone. This story is meant to be short and
entertaining, while giving a fresh perspective on humans.
All of the events referenced by the narrator, while not given much detail, did in fact happen. The
Assyrians, for instance, were the first humans to use iron, while the practice of decorating your
home with an enemys severed head was a favored practice of some Celtic tribes. Ritual
cannibalism is still practiced today, typically in South America and some Pacific islands.
I chose a short story as my paper for a simple reason- my greatest skill and my favorite hobby is
creative writing. I felt it was the best way for me to get my point across. As I lack the artistic skill
necessary to properly create a poster or artwork, writing was the most efficient way for me to
express my views of humanity.

Sources (Old)
"Social Psychology." : Third Edition by Eliot R. Smith and Diane M. Mackie. N.p., n.d. Web. 28 Sept.
2016. <http://psypress.co.uk/smithandmackie/resources/topic.asp?topic=ch13-tp-03>. (1)

Sources (New):

Works Cited
"Examining the Mob Mentality." Examining the Mob Mentality. South Source, n.d. Web. 7 Nov.
2016. <http://source.southuniversity.edu/examining-the-mob-mentality-31395.aspx>. (2)
Gordon, Jeffrey. "Is War Inevitable." Editorial. Philosophy Now 2008: n. pag. Philosophy Now.
Web. 2 Nov. 2016. <https://philosophynow.org/issues/66/Is_War_Inevitable>. (3)
Kennedy, Jr. Bingham. "Environmental Scarcity and the Outbreak of Conflict." Environmental
Scarcity and the Outbreak of Conflict. N.p., Jan. 2001. Web. 3 Nov. 2016. (4)

Pinkowski, Jennifer. "Study: Neanderthal DNA Lives On in Modern Humans." Time. Time Inc., 06
May 2010. Web. 05 Dec. 2016.
<http://content.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1987568,00.html>. (5)