A Dialectical Analysis of Aggression [Masters Thesis, University of Saskatchewan]

ABSTRACT Having review the literature on the concept of "aggression" I found that the literature could be divided into two theoretical orientations: instinct theories and learning theories. The research failed to unequivocally support either orientation. This confusion seemed to arise from the reification of "aggression" which transformed /it/ from a process into an entity which was then treated as a personality trait of the "aggressor". The literature was directed at exploring how the aggressor acquired his "aggression". The laboratory method of studying "aggression" was examined and it was demonstrated that within the laboratory "aggression" did not come about as a result of being a character trait of the subjects, but that aggressive behaviour was elicited by the experimenter aggressing upon the subjects. This led to the conclusion that aggression was not brought into the experiment by the subject but that it was created by the experimental situation. It was then shown that within capitalist society a situation exists in which "aggression" is created in a manner analogous to the way in which it is created within the laboratory. It was pointed out that aggressive behaviour is an instrumental response in which the subject of the behaviour attempts to interact rationally with his environment. It was shown that by reifying the process of "frustration" and "aggression" the subject's ability to comprehend his environmental situation is reduced and as a result his ability to act rationally is also reduced. It was further suggested that a person draws on both his past experience and his genetically determined capacity in order to interact with a given situation in a rational manner. This appeared to be the case whether or not the interaction involved aggressive behaviours. It was shown that learning and genetics explain how an aggressive response to a situation might occur, but that neither explain the motivation of the response. The aggressive responses were attempts by the subject to eliminate the threat of being the object of further aggression. It was seen that the most rational way in which that goal could be achieved was to attack the source of the initial aggression upon the subject. Within capitalist society it was demonstrated that the source of much aggression is the profit system itself. It was recognized that such an attack would lead to an escalation of "aggression", however, it was also seen that this was the only response which had the potential for eventually eliminating aggression.