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THE TERRITORIAL IMPERATIVE

ROBERT ARDREY

Subtitle: A personal inquiry into the animal origins of property and nations, Dell Publishing, N.Y., 1966, 390 pgs., index, bibliography, illustrations, paperback

 
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Reviewer comment:
This is the third in the series of four books by Robert Ardrey based on the anthropological - archeological explorations and discoveries by the Leakey family, Raymond Dart and many others today in south- east Africa. In this book he focuses on the connection of early humans with animals especially with respect to behavior in seeking and defending territory. The Wikipedia entry for Ardrey's biography contains an excellent discussion of all of his books. {short description of image} He faced disagreement and attacks especially from Marxists and followers of Rousseau then. Today he is probably totally disregarded. And Ardrey does not limit his comments to animal (other than human_) behavior.

No, he observes the 'territorial' competition and seeking for status among the members of the scientific community as of other social communities. His chapters proceed like the acts in his plays, each developing a plot and expanding the personality and behavior of both the animals being studied and the scientists studying them.
Throughout his 4 books Ardrey always describes the individual scientist and attributes to him his meticulous investigation methods and theories that advanced scientific knowledge in its one evolutionary survival of the fittest. He has visited the locales and laboratories of the scientists who dedicate years to the study of one tiny aspect - one individual bird or mammal or reptile species among thousands. He has searched libraries and archives to obtain the scientific reports dating back over many years. But his objective is the role evolution has influenced - determined - the resulting result in human biology, psychology and physiology.

 
 

Preliminary Meditation:
This brief autobiography should be included as preliminary in all his books. H notes that he studied and taught anthropology in the 1930's but then shifted to becoming a playwright and movie screen writer. It was only in 1955 when he met Prof. Raymond Dart in South Africa and discovered a room' filled with fossil bones', part of the extent or the enormous findings of pre-human and early human remains still being 'uncovered' literally in southern Africa. He recounts his experience. "So fathomless was my ignorance, however, and so oceanic were the dimensions of scientific accomplishment while my back had been turned, that the rush consumed six years of my life, and even then I learned only to float. For it was not just a matter of Australopithecus and the predatory transition: there were alpha fish, and pecking orders, gene pools and displacement activities, exploratory behavior and ritualized aggression, and all had bearing on the human condition. Above all, there was territory. He notes that his book, African Genesis was his first, in which he cut a slice of the vast ramifications for the study of human behavior now expanding from the knowledge of animal, pre-human and early human behavior. It focused on the role of evolution that determined animal, including human, development.
Now, Territorial Imperative is another book focusing on another segment of the vast and complex nature of human response to the same necessities that evolution created in so many animal societies. He notes further that the study of competition for territory among many different animal societies has been studied by many scientists.

 

Chapter 1 - Of Men and Mockingbirds:
First, a definition. "A territory is an area of space, whether of water or earth or air, which an animal or group of animals defends as an exclusive preserve. The word is also used to describe the inward compulsion in animate beings to posses and defend such a space."
He emphasizes something that is frequently misunderstood. In territorial animal societies the males do NOT compete directly for females, but for territory (property) because the females are sexually unresponsive to males who DO NOT poses property. Furthermore, in almost all cases the current proprietor of territory succeeded in expelling an intruder of the same species but ignores individuals of other species who happen by (except of course if they constitute a fine meal).
He summarizes: "The concept of territory as a genetically determined form of behavior in many species is today accepted beyond question in the biological sciences." But the implications of this genetically determined behavior in humans have yet to be established.
His conclusion: "I regard the territorial imperative as no less essential to the existence of contemporary man than it was to those bands of small-brained proto-men on the high African savannah millions of years ago."
For the remainder of the chapter Ardrey narrates and comments on the recent developments in those sciences that relate to the subject.
One of the fundamental issues he summarizes with the statement: "A bird does not fly because it has wings, it has wings because it flies."
He considers the concept and actions relevant to today. "I regard the territorial imperative as no less essential to the existence of contemporary man that it was to those bands of small-brained proto-men on the high African savannah millions of years ago."

 
 

Chapter 2 - Arena Behavior:
Arena behavior relates to animal species that set aside an arena (an arena competing stadium) for sexual activity.
Ardrey begins by describing his days in 1960 viewing the kob in eastern Congo and western Uganda. Then he recounts his visit 3 years later. It was then that he learned that Helmut Buechner had disproved his earlier concepts. The discovery by Buechner was the unusual mating procedure of the kob - everything is left to a select handful of males without 'harems' while the Alpha males of each 'harem' are excluded. And they perform their duty at an exclusive place (a 'stamping ground") set aside for the purpose. He stresses that the procedure is "instinctive". He describes the entire proceeding with the eye of the movie and play author he has for its entertainment value (both to the kob and the human observer). The entire scenario is based on territorial value - and that is the motivation of the kob-doe - the property, not the proprietor. Consequently the males compete for the most favored territory, not for the females, who will be visiting the the special locations they consider most valuable.
One of his conclusions: "The inspiration of ownership seems necessary to stimulate sexual desire in both males and females. Away from the stamping ground copulation is only rarely attempted and apparently never consummated."

He continues with many examples of bird species that create 'arenas' and execute detailed specific ritual rules based on territory conferring status that in turn confers the female's interest.

 
 

Chapter 3 - To Have and to Hold:
In this chapter he turns to the study of pair mating. He opens with: "The pair is a social arrangement with sexual conveniences of varying reward. The evolutionary value of the pair does not rest, however, on sexual necessity, for we have seen in natural arenas how flamboyantly sex can flourish without permanent arrangements. Natural selection's concern has been with offspring" He points out that the 'arena' method is for species in which the female can raise the offspring without contribution from the father. But in the many other species a pair bonding method is essential to bring the male into the survival of the offspring. He credits Julian Huxley with early (1914) study and resulting analysis. Among Huxley's conclusions was that it was the necessity to defend their territory that held the pair together long after the sexual activity had been achieved. Ardrey devotes the chapter to narrating the progression of scientific study of many other species during the following 100 years. Among the fascinating examples of defending territory Ardrey describes behavior that biologists term 'displacement activity' The two males facing each other across their frontier and instinctively prevented from the disaster of either fighting of fleeing will both turn to a programed alternative activity specific to all members of that species, such as pulling up grass or digging a hole. Ardrey, as a playwright, notes his observation of such activity in humans.
He concludes the chapter with examples of human response to territorial ownership comparing the wealth and huge production of the American farmer with the disaster of Russian collective farming.

 
 

Chapter 4 - The Voyage of the Animals:
In this chapter Ardrey takes up the example of the giant green turtles that navigates across thousands of miles of ocean to return to their same breeding ground. Scientists term this 'the homing problem'. They do not have a territory to defend, but they consider a narrow, specific territory their favorite location on which to lay their offsprings' eggs. Of course the same navigational problem faces bird species that travel to and from the same Arctic locations each year. There are many other species with similar habits such as trout and salmon. He takes up the Eel story. And he discusses the ways of the homing pigeon. His skill as a playwright comes in with his vivid descriptions of the struggle of multiple scientists to find a clue for the skill of homing species. Ardrey settles by relating it to territoriality. But he admits that actually the ability of species to navigate over thousands of miles and with time lapses sometimes of years is still unknown.

 

Chapter 5 - The Noyau:
The term means antagonism- friendship. A 'Noyau is a group of individuals who depend on the group yet exhibit furious animosity between members of the same group. They need the society to provide other members with whom they can be furiously antagonistic (but in a bloodless ritual way).
He opens the chapter with: "Antagonism must have some value to living things, why otherwise would evolution have tolerated so much of it? He begins with an account of the famous Julian Huxley and Ashley Montagu studying the black-tailed godwit on Texel island, Holland. The birds establish their territory and defend it. The two scientists wondered why migratory sea birds need to establish a territory at all. Ardrey considers that a critical issue and in trhe chapter even advances it from the case of individual birds and other animals to territory in the context of societies and total populations. As with all his investigations, his ultimate focus is on how and why the animal behavior was adapted by humans. He recounts the observations of scientists on such varied species ad the huge hippopotamus to the tiny callicebus monkey. He notes that behavior patters are not only individual but social to a group. He tells of animal species that conduct ferocious (but bloodless) argument with their neighbor at the territorial border they have established between them for what he terms excitement, fun, relief of boredom. And various species demand social mechanisms that are created to insure personal privacy and "individual distance" - space between two individuals. They seek and obtain individual identity among a population of thousands of what appear to human observers as indistinguishable creatures. He notes that "To discuss the psyche of the animal is to walk across dangerous ground. To expand the hypothesis by addition of a need for identity is to render the ground no less perilous". But he ventures forth. He concludes the chapter with a playwright's evocative description of two such Noyau societies, the tiny callicebus monkey and the Italian people. .

 

Chapter 6 - The Nation:
Audrey turns again to the perfect living laboratory - a museum, Madagascar, isolated from Africa tens of millions of years ago with a population of several lemur species but NO predators, not even apes or zebras or elephants or men. Thus no competition to spur on evolution.
Ardrey repeats his definition of a biological nation - "a social group that holds exclusive possession of an area, a space, which isolates itself from others of its kind through outward antagonism, and which through joint defense of its social territory achieves leadership, cooperation, and a capacity for concerted action." He is amazed but finds that the evolutionary primitive lemur has managed to create nations. It is the lemur that is the only remaining example of primate beginnings. His anatomy is evolved very little, but we cannot know very much about any changes in his behavior. But millions of years ago, before the separation of Madagascar lemurs existed throughout the world. Ardrey describes several of the 15 species studied by scientists. He notes things we know and what we do not know about lemurs. He saddens when observing that it is humans - from India and from Africa whose belief in the importance of having cattle has resulted in the population of 5 million humans and 10 million cattle that have destroyed most of the forests.

In part two Ardrey switches completely to the study of protozoa - on in particular called slime mould. They form societies that exhibit outward antagonism. Then he discusses social insects such as ants. He again poses the fundamental question of evolution - which came first, a change in anatomy or a chance in behavior.
Then he moves on to the fiddler crab who also fights to defend his bit of sand. But, he remarks, for many years - much of the 19th century, the detailed study of animals was confined to the ornithologists focused on a variety of bird species, so the concept of territoriality was determined by the activities of birds. He discusses each of the few scientists who studied other animals such as rodents, but for a long time it was the activity of birds that prevailed in establishing varieties of activity such as defense of territory. He narrates the development since the 1930's of the study of other animal species, especially apes and monkeys. Early observation was confined to zoos and laboratories. The results were full of errors including theories about the activities of monkeys and apes relating to that of humans - particularly as to the role of sexual attraction. It was not until extensive, serious, lengthy study of these an other species in the wild that such misunderstanding began to be revealed and replaced. Defense of social territory gained prominence as the significant theory. Ardrey compares the various theories about human psychology, behavior, instinct as they relate to their possible evolution from other species especially apes.

 

Chapter 7 - Look Homeward, Angel:
Ardrey begins the chapter with memories about his youth in Chicago during and after WWI. Then he moves his story to December 7, 1941 and WWII. He relates the Japanese attack directly to the overwhelming retaliation generated by the defense of territory motivation. He continues with examples during WWII of nations from the Finns, to Greeks to British to Americans who fought against invaders or expected invaders of their territory. This is a lengthy discussion.
He writes: "The territorial imperative is as blind as a cave fish, as consuming as a furnace, and it commands beyond logic, opposes all reason, suborns all moralities, strives for no goal more sublime than survival."
But he insists, while opposing Sir Arthur Keith, "Territory is not the cause of war." But defense of territory is sure to follow intrusion against it or by avoidance. At the same time recognition of the proprietor's territorial rights is rigid for some species who will carefully avoid entering another's territory. Or if they secretly do enter they realize they are thieves and will be furtive about it. Ardrey mixes narration of the rapidly expanding knowledge of primates and other species with speculation about what all this continuing expansion will for man's understanding of man. We will find out what is did for Ardrey's theories in his next book.

 

Chapter 8 - The Amity-Enmity Complex:
He addresses the phenomena called 'amity' and remarks that if it exists in nature it must be in tiny quantities. This means it has to be manufactured. Ardrey describes how that was accomplished by even lemurs millions or years ago. It conforms to the equation A=E + h - meaning amity equals Enmity plus the sum of enmity plus hazard. He considers enmity as the forces of antagonism and hostility originating in members of one's species. The hazards include the predators that species faces. And humans face an unusual source of enmity, namely members of their own kind. The chapter is mostly philosophy - theorizing - with several examples to support it. One was the blue-goose family on Lake Michigan next to Chicago - another is the smooth-billed ani. This relative of the cuckoo forms not only family pairs but societies of up to two dozen adults in which all share amity of the group members and enmity of all outsiders. And the third is the prairie-dog.
On this basis Ardrey turns to philosophy again. He expands the concept of evolution meaning 'the survival of the fittest' to mean survival of the fittest group. In this the amity-enmity complex is the resolution of a paradox stated - "If the evolutionary process is a merciless strife among individuals to survive with natural selection determining the fittest, then how could such human qualities as altruism, loyalty, charity, and mercy have even come into existence?. ... "How can man's ethical values be a product of the evolutionary process? In the remainder of the chapter Ardrey narrates and comments on the contests over this issue that have generated post WWII years of contention between noted scholars whom Ardrey identifies along with their conflicting theories.

 

Chapter 9 - Three Faces of Janus:
Ardrey lived in Rome. He was very aware of contemporary Romans and their ancient history. Janus was the god of beginnings. From discussion of this fact he moves on to discussion of the revolution in cosmology. Far from being in a steady state as theory posited, the new concept is that the universe had a Beginning in a 'great bang'. But if it has a beginning, then what was the cause - the First Cause. He returns to the species he considers one of the oldest, the planarian worm. He describes the efforts of dedicated scientists to discover how the worm learned using similar experimental methods as is used for mousses and rats. The scientists were stunned by the results. The worms appeared to be purposely rebelling.

Ardrey, ever the playwright, recounts the scientific chaos. "The harried investigators, faced by the organic equivalent of apples falling upward and straight lines turning corners, bumbled about trying to find means of appeasing their tiny rebels, who by now had taken charge of the experiment." He describes a later scene, "By this point in the experiment it was not the mentality of the worms being tested but the sanity of scientists, an hysteria hovered close by."

Among his conclusions, Ardrey notes that 'behavior is a consequence not a cause - it is an end, not a beginning. And wile we study behavior we do not understand its cause. "Why do men and other animals act as we do?" Via the years of study we come to some conclusions about the consequence of behavior, not the cause.

 

Bibliographical Key

 
 

References

 
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Robert Ardrey - African Genesis

 
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Robert Ardrey - The Social Contract

 
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Robert Ardrey - The Hunting Hypothesis

 
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Australopithecus

 
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Evolution - The Wikipedia entry - mostly about biology a field that has huglyu advanced since Ardrey wrote his books.

 
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