ensus ▁regarding ▁posit iv ism . ▁ ▁Theory ▁of ▁war ▁and ▁conflict ▁In ▁" P ure ▁Soci ology : ▁A ▁Tre at ise ▁on ▁the ▁Origin ▁and ▁Sp ont aneous ▁Development ▁of ▁Society " ▁( 1 9 0 3 ) ▁Ward ▁the or izes ▁that ▁throughout ▁human ▁history ▁conflict ▁and ▁war ▁has ▁been ▁the ▁force ▁that ▁is ▁most ▁responsible ▁for ▁human ▁progress . ▁It ▁was ▁through ▁conflict ▁that ▁hom in ids ▁gained ▁domin ance ▁over ▁animals . ▁It ▁was ▁through ▁conflict ▁and ▁war ▁that ▁H omo ▁S api ens ▁w ip ed ▁out ▁the ▁less ▁advanced ▁hom in id ▁species ▁and ▁it ▁was ▁through ▁war ▁that ▁the ▁more ▁techn olog ically ▁advanced ▁races ▁and ▁nations ▁expanded ▁their ▁territory ▁and ▁spread ▁civil ization . ▁Ward ▁sees ▁war ▁as ▁a ▁natural ▁evolution ary ▁process ▁and ▁like ▁all ▁natural ▁evolution ary ▁processes ▁war ▁is ▁cap r icious , ▁slow , ▁often ▁in effect ive ▁and ▁shows ▁no ▁regard ▁for ▁the ▁pain ▁inf lic ted ▁on ▁living ▁cre atures . ▁One ▁of ▁the ▁central ▁ten ets ▁of ▁W ards ▁world ▁view ▁is ▁that ▁the ▁artificial ▁is ▁superior ▁to ▁the ▁natural ▁and ▁thus ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁central ▁goals ▁of ▁App lied ▁Soci ology ▁is ▁to ▁replace ▁war ▁with ▁a ▁system ▁that ▁retain s ▁the ▁progress ive ▁elements ▁that ▁war ▁has ▁provided ▁but ▁without ▁the ▁many ▁down s ides . ▁ ▁In flu ence ▁on ▁U . S . ▁government ▁policy ▁Ward ▁influenced ▁a ▁rising ▁generation ▁of ▁progress ive ▁political ▁leaders , ▁such ▁as ▁Herbert ▁Cro ly . ▁In