In 1941, Ruth Benedict introduced a new concept of social synergy. It measures the degree of con vergence between individual and group goals. After studying many societies, she observed that groups enjoying high synergy tend to be peaceful, while those of low synergy tend to violence.

In 1989, we proposed a dynamical model for group behavior based on a field of preference cones, the synergy field, inspired by Roy Radner's microeconomic models. Individual choices made ran domly within these preference cones determine the group dynamic, which decomposes the state space of the group into disjoint basins of attraction. Understanding this model may be useful in analyzing international events. A small change in exogenous parameters may cause a large change in the dynamics of the synergy field, and thus a bifurcation in the group behavior, such as a switch from peace to war.

It is a pleasure to thank Ron Swenson for bringing the transformation of the !Kung to my atten tion, Raoul Kneucker for introducing me to Laurens van der Post, Phil Grant for sharing his own work with me, and the Rudolph Steiner Schule of Wien-Mauer, especially Elisabeth Gergely, for the hospitality which made this writing possible.