Genetic Basis for Genocide

In your editorial, “Genocide and Genes” (May 8), you argue that genocide is a “ ‘natural’ action” and that humans, like lower primates, “have a collective capacity for genocide.”

If this tendency is indeed a part of our genetic endowment, then its universality as a behavior should be present in all cultures. Clearly it is not. Granted, 17 genocides between 1950 and 1990 is horrific, but this ugly statistic does not prove that genes played any role in the course of these events. What is needed is a close examination of the crucial historical, social, and psychological dimensions driving a society toward genocide.

Nearly all genocides, like most wars, are group decisions, made by usually rational, though totally immoral men. (Incidentally, do females also carry this genetic tendency? If so, where is their representation?) The social, economic and political upheavals, the values and goals of superiority and power, the acceptance of violence, the fears and insecurities, the historical prejudices and racism, and the culture’s strong obedience to authority are key factors common to most genocides.

For centuries, scientists and philosophers have used the “human nature” argument to provide explanations and/or justifications for every human ill, from slavery and conquest to the inequality of women. Until your research biologist, Jared Diamond, isolates the “genocide gene,” I’ll continue to believe that mass murder, like war, is a planned group behavior that can one day be eradicated by humanity. Our destiny is in our hands, not in our genes.

EDWARD MARKARIAN

Van Nuys

Your editorial underlines the difficulties of drawing inferences concerning human nature from the behavior of other animal species. First, you do an injustice to the chimpanzee. While it is true that bands of chimpanzees have been observed to exterminate rival bands, this is far from a common occurrence. The challenge for the student of primate behavior is to determine and specify the conditions under which this extreme, relatively unusual behavior occurs. While chimpanzee bands may not welcome strangers and may pursue them, the conflicts are usually resolved without resort to “genocidal” acts.

The fact of the matter is that humans engage in far more destruction of their own species than do chimpanzees or other mammals. Humans, of course, also manifest much loving and cooperative behavior in interacting with different groups. While we can learn much about the human species from the evolution and behavior of other animal species, we need to look to those attributes (language, self-awareness, culture) that are peculiar to Homo sapiens for the source and mitigation of acts of genocide.

SEYMOUR FESHBACH

Professor of Psychology, UCLA

As long as we continue to tell our children “you are black” or “you are white,” “you are Christian” or “you are Jewish,” “you are American” or “you are Russian,” there will continue to be attempted genocides.

Only when all the world’s children are raised as humans, disregarding color, culture, country and creed, will Homo sapiens be able to overcome this tragic quirk of evolutionary adaptation.

MICHAEL WOLFF

Los Angeles