The Evolution of Human Government—The Genesis of War—P1

This week, we commence our study of Paper 70, The Evolution of Human Government.  Our times demand knowing more about how our adaptations and maladaptations regulating our human contacts with each other, in smaller but progressively, larger and larger groupings, had their origins, have evolved, and where they seem to be going.

On an evolutionary world, antagonisms are natural; peace is secured only by some sort of social regulative system. Social regulation is inseparable from social organization; association implies some controlling authority. Government compels the co-ordination of the antagonisms of the tribes, clans, families, and individuals.

Government is an unconscious development; it evolves by trial and error. It does have survival value; therefore it becomes traditional. Anarchy augmented misery; therefore government, comparative law and order, slowly emerged or is emerging. The coercive demands of the struggle for existence literally drove the human race along the progressive road to civilization. (783.2–3) 70:0.2–3

War is the natural state and heritage of evolving man; peace is the social yardstick measuring civilization’s advancement....And wherever and whenever the fabric of civilization becomes stressed by the complications of society’s advancement, there is always an immediate and ruinous reversion to these early methods of violent adjustment of the irritations of human interassociations. (783.4) 70:1.1

Military mercy has been slow in coming to mankind. Even when a woman, Deborah, ruled the Hebrews, the same wholesale cruelty persisted. Her general in his victory over the gentiles caused “all the host to fall upon the sword; there was not one left.” (784.13) 70:1.17

Please join us for what should be a relevant discussion of recent developments in our current affairs.

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