Aggression Theories Revisited: Lorenz’s Neoinstinctivism, Wilson’s Socio-Biology and Skinner’s Behavioral Theories

This article aims to revisit neo-instinctivism, socio-biological and behavioral theories account of human aggression. Humans apparently have a long history of violence. It is customary in many social psychology textbooks contain chapters on aggression. One of the explanations about the subject usually has a section on the “instinct theory of aggression” that usually associated to the ethologist Konrad Lorenz who aims to examine aggression with a class of biological explanations. Aggressive energy is an instinctual drive that enhance until it explodes. It may be released by external stimuli. Socio-biological perspective contributes a more complicated interactionist model for contemplating the origins of human aggression. Wilson’s ideas combine ethological studies with other biological factors to explain human aggression and war as a consequence of the interaction between the cultural environment and genes. In order to understand human aggression, there are the dichotomies between biology and environment, nature and nurture, or instincts and learning. It is interesting to point out that the radical behaviorists Skinner is as much an evolutionist as Konrad Lorenz both of whom believe the nature of the mechanisms designed by natural selection. The objective of this study is to describe different definitions and causes of aggression in humans. It is important to present different explanations of aggression ranging from neo-instinctivism, socio-biological, and behavioral analysis. In the first part of the paper, after the definition of aggression, it entails a close look to Lorenz’s neo-instintivism approach. The second part focuses on Wilson’s sociobiological idea of the aggression. The third section emphasizes Skinner’s behavioralism. The conclusion gives a summary of all perspectives.