The Territorial Imperative: A Personal Inquiry Into The Animal Origins Of Property And Nations
Condition: SECONDHAND
This is a secondhand book. The jacket image is a photograph of the exact copy we have in stock. This image shows the condition of this book. Further condition remarks are below.
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Chipped and worn with some minor damage
Pages: Good
Markings: Previous owner
What compels a bird to defend its nest, a wolf to mark its territory, or a nation to wage war over borders? In The Territorial Imperative, Robert Ardrey presents a sweeping and provocative inquiry into one of nature's most primal forces, arguing that the instinct to claim, defend, and die for territory is not a cultural invention but a biological inheritance shared across the animal kingdom — and deeply embedded in the human psyche. Drawing on the cutting-edge ethology and anthropology of the 1960s, Ardrey chronicles the behaviours of animals and humans alike, weaving field observations, scientific research, and philosophical reflection into a bold, unified theory of property, nationhood, and conflict. A follow-up to his landmark work African Genesis, this book cemented Ardrey's reputation as one of the most daring and accessible science writers of the twentieth century. His style is combative, witty, and relentlessly curious — challenging readers to confront uncomfortable truths about the animal origins of human society. Widely debated by scientists, sociologists, and political theorists, The Territorial Imperative remains a landmark text in the conversation between biology and human behaviour, leaving the reader to wonder: if territory is truly in our nature, can civilisation ever fully escape it?
Author: Robert Ardrey
Format: Hardback
Published: 1967, Collins
Genre: Anthropology
Condition remarks:
Book: Good
Jacket: Chipped and worn with some minor damage
Pages: Good
Markings: Previous owner
What compels a bird to defend its nest, a wolf to mark its territory, or a nation to wage war over borders? In The Territorial Imperative, Robert Ardrey presents a sweeping and provocative inquiry into one of nature's most primal forces, arguing that the instinct to claim, defend, and die for territory is not a cultural invention but a biological inheritance shared across the animal kingdom — and deeply embedded in the human psyche. Drawing on the cutting-edge ethology and anthropology of the 1960s, Ardrey chronicles the behaviours of animals and humans alike, weaving field observations, scientific research, and philosophical reflection into a bold, unified theory of property, nationhood, and conflict. A follow-up to his landmark work African Genesis, this book cemented Ardrey's reputation as one of the most daring and accessible science writers of the twentieth century. His style is combative, witty, and relentlessly curious — challenging readers to confront uncomfortable truths about the animal origins of human society. Widely debated by scientists, sociologists, and political theorists, The Territorial Imperative remains a landmark text in the conversation between biology and human behaviour, leaving the reader to wonder: if territory is truly in our nature, can civilisation ever fully escape it?