The Great Illusion · Chapter
Unchanging Human Nature explained
Angell argues against the claim that human nature is unchangeable and that war is therefore inevitable.
What happens
Angell argues against the claim that human nature is unchangeable and that war is therefore inevitable. He points to historical transformations in human behavior, such as the abolition of the duel and the decline of religious persecution, as evidence that human nature is not fixed. He critiques militarist writers who lament their own nations' drift away from militancy, showing that such complaints are universal and thus self-defeating. The chapter concludes that the psychological impulse to war is diminishing, just as other violent impulses have been overcome.
Themes in this chapter
Changeability of Human Nature
Central theme: Angell argues that human nature is not fixed, citing historical changes in behavior such as the abolition of the duel and the decline of religious persecution.
Critique of Militarism
Angell critiques militarist writers who lament the decline of military spirit, showing their complaints are universal and self-defeating.
Role of Public Opinion
The chapter discusses how public opinion has shifted away from dueling and religious conflict, suggesting it can also shift away from war.
Characters to notice
- Homer Lea
Cited as a militarist writer who laments the decline of military spirit in America, but whose complaints are similar to those in other nations.
- Robert Blatchford
Mentioned as a militarist socialist who criticizes the British people's apathy toward fighting, echoing similar complaints in other countries.
- Theodore Roosevelt
Quoted on the necessity of resenting insults to national honor, which Angell contrasts with the extinction of the duel.
- Lord Roberts
Used as an example of a modern military leader who does not engage in the barbaric practices of ancient warriors, illustrating change in human nature.
- Lord Kitchener
Similarly used to illustrate that modern military leaders do not commit atrocities, showing that human nature has changed.
- Herbert Spencer
Mentioned as a contrast to paleolithic man, representing the evolution of human nature.
Key passages
“You cannot change human nature”
The claim that human nature is immutable is contradicted by historical evidence of profound changes in behavior.
Angell dismantles this catchphrase by pointing to the evolution from cannibalism to modern civilization.
“We despise a nation, just as we despise a man, who fails to resent an insult.”
Roosevelt's justification for armaments is outdated because the duel, which this sentiment mirrors, has been abandoned in the Anglo-Saxon world.
Angell uses the extinction of the duel to argue that national honor should not be defended by arms.