Assume that genocide has been frequent, constant, and ever present in human civilization since time immemorial. This means there has likely been evolutionary pressure to avoid being genocided, and assuming a dichotomy, evolutionary pressure to be the genociders rather then the genocided.
What traits have humans evolved to be genociders and avoid being genocided? Speculate our ability to organize into armies, to form and obey chains of command, and in particular, to follow orders to kill another human -- to have military orders be able to trump compassion -- is a result of evolutionary selection. Societies who could not do that, who could not field soldiers who could do that, got genocided and their genes did not propagate.
The challenge is to identify the genes that control this behavior. Would the world be a better place if we used eugenics to eliminate this trait?
Previous similar thoughts about slavery. The common idea is humans causing other humans to die, triggering evolution.
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