▁mis car ry , ▁he ▁would ▁be ▁at ▁a ▁complete ▁loss ▁how ▁to ▁explain ▁history ▁at ▁all . ▁The ▁ever - rec urrent ▁phen omena ▁of ▁history ▁do ▁not ▁have ▁reasonable ▁causes . ▁It ▁is ▁a ▁mere ▁common place ▁to ▁say ▁that ▁they ▁are ▁caused ▁by ▁what ▁common ▁parl ance ▁so ▁apt ly ▁terms ▁" human ▁nature ." ▁Un reason ing ▁and ▁un reason able ▁human ▁nature ▁causes ▁two ▁nations ▁to ▁comp ete , ▁though ▁no ▁economic ▁necessity ▁comp els ▁them ▁to ▁do ▁so ; ▁it ▁indu ces ▁two ▁political ▁parties ▁or ▁relig ions ▁with ▁amaz ingly ▁similar ▁programs ▁of ▁salv ation ▁to ▁fight ▁each ▁other ▁bitter ly , ▁and ▁it ▁imp els ▁an ▁Alexander ▁or ▁a ▁Napoleon ▁to ▁sacrifice ▁millions ▁of ▁lives ▁in ▁his ▁attempt ▁to ▁un ite ▁the ▁world ▁under ▁his ▁s cep ter . ▁We ▁have ▁been ▁taught ▁to ▁regard ▁some ▁of ▁the ▁persons ▁who ▁have ▁committed ▁these ▁and ▁similar ▁abs urd ities ▁with ▁respect , ▁even ▁as ▁" gre at " ▁men , ▁we ▁are ▁wont ▁to ▁yield ▁to ▁the ▁political ▁wisdom ▁of ▁those ▁in ▁charge , ▁and ▁we ▁are ▁all ▁so ▁acc ustom ed ▁to ▁these ▁phen omena ▁that ▁most ▁of ▁us ▁fail ▁to ▁realize ▁how ▁ab ject ly ▁stupid ▁and ▁und es irable ▁the ▁historical ▁mass ▁behavior ▁of ▁human ity ▁actually ▁is ▁▁ ▁Lor enz ▁does ▁not ▁see ▁human ▁independence ▁from ▁natural ▁e colog ical ▁processes ▁as ▁necessarily ▁bad . ▁Indeed , ▁he ▁states ▁that : ▁ ▁A ▁completely ▁new ▁[ ec ology ] ▁which ▁corresponds ▁in