Quote:
William Hazen wrote:
I disagree with Hillman's premise that War is a Normal state of Being...Warfare may be common true but killing human beings is not a "natural state of being."
Spending time at your local VA Hospital with wounded vets is evidence enough of this.
William Hazen
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I think it probably depends on one's definition of "natural," but I would say killing is a part of our nature, and as such is a natural state of being. As social animals I think we're less inclined to want to kill each other, but depending on the morals of the society the individual belongs to, a person might think nothing of it (not to mention the impact of individual mindset). I would guess that killing comes
almost as naturally as procreating or eating, but that anyone who holds life to be sacred will still probably feel loss at having killed, regardless of how justified they may also feel about their actions. It wouldn't be the first time people felt bad about doing something natural.
That said, I think it's healthier (so perhaps in a sense
more a part of our nature) to operate from an other-regarding, love-based intent, than an anti-social one (killing being perhaps the ultimate expression of anti-social behavior).