This book investigates the scientific validity of the theory that human aggression is an innate, inescapable biological drive. Ashley Montagu, a renowned anthropologist and social biologist, challenges the popular mid-20th-century assertions that humans are inherently violent by nature. He synthesizes cross-disciplinary evidence from biology, psychology, and anthropology to argue that human behavior is primarily shaped by social and environmental factors rather than fixed genetic imperatives.

Experts recognize this work as a significant counter-argument to the biological determinism that dominated behavioral science during the author's career. Readers often note the accessible yet rigorous academic tone that Montagu employs to dismantle complex evolutionary theories.