Themostimmediateandunequivocalexpressionofthatarchaichumannaturewhichcharacterizesmaninthepredatorystageisthefightingpropensityproper。Incaseswherethepredatoryactivityisacollectiveone，thispropensityisfrequentlycalledthemartialspirit，or，latterly，patriotism。
ItneedsnoinsistencetofindassenttothepropositionthatinthecountriesofcivilizedEuropethehereditaryleisureclassisendowedwiththismartialspiritinahigherdegreethanthemiddleclasses。Indeed，theleisureclassclaimsthedistinctionasamatterofpride，andnodoubtwithsomegrounds。Warishonorable，andwarlikeprowessiseminentlyhonorificintheeyesofthegeneralityofmen；andthisadmirationofwarlikeprowessisitselfthebestvoucherofapredatorytemperamentintheadmirerofwar。Theenthusiasmforwar，andthepredatorytemperofwhichitistheindex，prevailinthelargestmeasureamongtheupperclasses，especiallyamongthehereditaryleisureclass。
Moreover，theostensibleseriousoccupationoftheupperclassisthatofgovernment，which，inpointoforiginanddevelopmentalcontent，isalsoapredatoryoccupation。
Theonlyclasswhichcouldatalldisputewiththehereditaryleisureclassthehonorofanhabitualbellicoseframeofmindisthatofthelower-classdelinquents。Inordinarytimes，thelargebodyoftheindustrialclassesisrelativelyapathetictouchingwarlikeinterests。Whenunexcited，thisbodyofthecommonpeople，whichmakesuptheeffectiveforceoftheindustrialcommunity，isratheraversetoanyotherthanadefensivefight；indeed，itrespondsalittletardilyeventoaprovocationwhichmakesforanattitudeofdefense。Inthemorecivilizedcommunities，orratherinthecommunitieswhichhavereachedanadvancedindustrialdevelopment，thespiritofwarlikeaggressionmaybesaidtobeobsolescentamongthecommonpeople。
Thisdoesnotsaythatthereisnotanappreciablenumberofindividualsamongtheindustrialclassesinwhomthemartialspiritassertsitselfobtrusively。Nordoesitsaythatthebodyofthepeoplemaynotbefiredwithmartialardorforatimeunderthestimulusofsomespecialprovocation，suchasisseeninoperationtodayinmorethanoneofthecountriesofEurope，andforthetimeinAmerica。Butexceptforsuchseasonsoftemporaryexaltation，andexceptforthoseindividualswhoareendowedwithanarchaictemperamentofthepredatorytype，togetherwiththesimilarlyendowedbodyofindividualsamongthehigherandthelowestclasses，theinertnessofthemassofanymoderncivilizedcommunityinthisrespectisprobablysogreataswouldmakewarimpracticable，exceptagainstactualinvasion。