Abstract
MUCH has been said and written recently on the causes of the present conflict between Germany and the Allies and the conditions of peace, but most of it has been from the point of view of national expediency and little from that of the history of civilization or the future of mankind. In his two latest books—"The Fate of Homo sapiens" and "The New World Order"—Mr. H. G. Wells takes an eagle-eyed view of the world of man, as he did in his "Outline of History", and brings his critical mind to bear upon what he sees. With a few other students of history he realizes that the scientific method of inquiry can be profitably applied to political and social problems, as it is to other aspects of biological development. In the struggle for existence of all forms of life, many factors are involved; and the aim of scientific investigation is to discover their nature and influence. The history of civilization shows that the chief causes of war have been migratory movements—represented in modern times by access to natural resources and the claim for Lebensraum— aggressive nationalism, racial lust and religious hatred.
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Civilization and the Rights of Man. Nature 145, 237–239 (1940). https://doi.org/10.1038/145237a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/145237a0