Our time on this planet is short. The most we can hope for in the grand scheme of things is to leave some small mark on humanity, some small contribution to this world that outlives us. What remains - history, culture, knowledge, the archaeological record - is our inheritance from those who came before. The fact that we have destroyed so much of that inheritance is a tragedy. It seems that violence is integral part of nature and we are no exception.
To be continued - this article is meant to explore the relationship between violence and civilization.