Ethological view of aggression
Ethological (or instinctual) theories of Aggression propose that humans possess an innate predisposition to be aggressive.
Ethology is the study of animals in their natural environment and ethologists are interested in how animal behaviours increase the animal’s chance of survival and the reproduction of the species.
Konrad Lorenz believed that Aggression was instinctive and he was responsible for much of the work on the ethological aspect of instinct theory. He proposed that humans and animals possess a fighting instinct used for survival, enabling members of a species to fight gain a mate, to protect their territory or to achieve dominance within the group.
All instincts generate a drive or energy which is constantly building up and must therefore be released; otherwise it will be used destructively on other members of the species.
According to Lorenz humans are warriors and participation in sport or even watching sport provides the safety valve for our aggression.
Ethological theories support the notion of catharsis; the release of aggressive urges through aggression. This can be either real, as in the actual act of aggression, or symbolic, as in release through watching others being aggressive. Lorenz therefore believed that sport was very important due to its cathartic qualities. That is playing or watching sport reduces aggression.
