The Roots of War and Domination
Ralph Metzner
2011. Oakland, CA: Green Earth Foundation & Regent Press
German Translation available here
Domination behavior, using force to control others, is destabilizing and disruptive in families, groups and communities. At the international level, aggressive domination is war – the breakdown of the civilized order. I track the roots of war and domination: in the psychological consequences of violent child abuse; in historical and prehistorical patterns of resource competition; and in mammalian predator behavior gone awry. One can see these ancient predatory patterns operating in the capitalist and imperialist policies of nation states. Seeking still deeper roots, I explore lesser known mythological and esoteric teachings: the Buddhist myths of power-addicted demons; the legend of the corruption of the Atlantean civilization; the Nordic myths of wars among the gods; and the Sumerian myths of dominating extra-terrestrial war-lord colonizers who genetically engineered our human ancestors. Finally, I examine the complex and profound teachings of the mysterious 20th century sage G.I. Gurdjieff, who located the ultimate causes of war in the extra-planetary environment and cosmic history. It is my intention and hope that these explorations of this most intractable of humanity’s problems may lead others to further discoveries and possibly solutions. – RM