Lecture
The Origins of War and Peace in the Human Species
- Date
- Monday 26 October 2026
- Time
- Address
-
Spui Campus
Spui 5
2511 BL The Hague - Room
- 1B.10
The Janus-faced inclination for both war and peace in the human species
When, why, and how did we, humans, develop our distinctive and paradoxical inclinations for both war and peace? Hugo Meijer's new book investigates that central question by drawing on cutting-edge research and an unprecedented range of evidence from thirteen disciplines: biology, primatology, comparative ethology, behavioural ecology, anthropology, archaeology, criminology, social psychology, linguistics, demography, genetics, neuroscience, and climatology.
The book shows how the capacities for both war and peace co-evolved gradually over millions of years through a mosaic-like pattern, with distinct but interacting components emerging at different moments and becoming integrated over evolutionary time. This deep-rooted trajectory has been shaped by feedback loops among biological, cultural, and environmental forces.
Hugo Meijer will discuss his book and the origins of the Janus-faced inclination for both war and peace in the human species, followed by a question and answer session moderated by Nicolas Blarel.
About the speaker
Hugo Meijer is CNRS Research Fellow at Sciences Po, Center for International Studies (CERI, Paris), Deputy Director for Scientific Affairs (CERI), and the Founding Director of the European Initiative for Security Studies (EISS), the largest and most diverse network of security studies scholars in Europe. He is also Senior Fellow at the Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS), in Brussels, and Honorary Researcher at the Centre for War and Diplomacy, Lancaster University. His current research interests revolve around the deep history of war and peace in the human lineage.