On Aggression

On Aggression is a book by ethologist Konrad Lorenz on instinctual aggression within animals and humans.

Animals, especially males, are, according to Lorenz, biologically programmed to fight over resources. And these behaviors must be considered by nature's requirements i.e. natural selection. For example an aggression leading to death or serious injury will eventually become extinct unless it evolves a form of natural regulation. In the book, Lorenz negated the categorization of aggression as "contrary" to "positive" instincts like love, but rather depicted its understanding as a base for other instincts and its role in animal communication. The book, for large part, also deals with aggressive behavior in humans. Many ideas (especially those regarding the role of aggression in human evolution) are now believed to be false; it is generally accepted that Lorenz' scientific methodology was marred by his personal views on how society should be like.