The widespread but mistaken notion that sex is the primary male drive and that males compete among themselves primarily for the possession of the female arises from the fact that the sexual pairing of the female with the male occurs immediately after the fight with the competing male is over.
We have seen, however, that the observation that the males of a specie will usually quarrel among themselves with undiminished zest, even in the absence of females, suggests that male competitiveness transcends the goals of mere possession of the female.
Human males compete among themselves with as much verve and absorption in the presence of females as in their absence.
Males of migratory bird species will fight in the absence of females who arrive only after quarrels have been settled and each male individual assigned his status in the pecking order.
The ethological evidence is that males quarrel among themselves primarily for status: power, influence, estate; with the females being only adorning part of the "fixtures and furniture" of the male's estate possession.
This fact underscores the observation that in male dominated cultures women are treated as chattel; and any man who by any means comes to possession of his neighbor's estate assumes possession of his women as a matter of legal right.
When King Cyrus the Medo-Persian defeated the King of Babylon he symbolized his new status as master of Babylon by entering into the vanquished Babylonian king's harem and having his way with his women.
Similarly, when King David's son, Absalom took over his father's kingdom by force of arms, the wise Ahithophel advised him to symbolize his mastership by entering his father's harem and having his choice of his concubines.
It would take a naive anthropologist to supposed that in both cases(Cyrus' and Absalom's) the quarrel among the men was primarily over women.
Men will quarrel, fight and kill each other with as much consuming passion when there are harems of beautiful women to possess as when there are none.
The corresponding cross-species evidence is that females find males with status, power and possession irresistible and converge on such men in droves preferring to share a single male potentate with a horde of other women that exclusive monogamous relationship with a lower status male.
Hence, high class males do not fight with other men to possess females(in the naive understanding of how it works) rather females compete fiercely among themselves for the few available high status males by mastering the techniques of stimulus control of male sexual response.
Only low status males, who have nothing to offer in terms of life supporting choice estate quarrel among themselves for the possession of usually indifferent females.
Given, however, the opportunity of a loftier symbol of status and power to fight over, even the low status male will abandon his apparent lust for sex, and the females stand the risk of sexual neglect.
We have seen, however, that the observation that the males of a specie will usually quarrel among themselves with undiminished zest, even in the absence of females, suggests that male competitiveness transcends the goals of mere possession of the female.
Human males compete among themselves with as much verve and absorption in the presence of females as in their absence.
Males of migratory bird species will fight in the absence of females who arrive only after quarrels have been settled and each male individual assigned his status in the pecking order.
The ethological evidence is that males quarrel among themselves primarily for status: power, influence, estate; with the females being only adorning part of the "fixtures and furniture" of the male's estate possession.
This fact underscores the observation that in male dominated cultures women are treated as chattel; and any man who by any means comes to possession of his neighbor's estate assumes possession of his women as a matter of legal right.
When King Cyrus the Medo-Persian defeated the King of Babylon he symbolized his new status as master of Babylon by entering into the vanquished Babylonian king's harem and having his way with his women.
Similarly, when King David's son, Absalom took over his father's kingdom by force of arms, the wise Ahithophel advised him to symbolize his mastership by entering his father's harem and having his choice of his concubines.
It would take a naive anthropologist to supposed that in both cases(Cyrus' and Absalom's) the quarrel among the men was primarily over women.
Men will quarrel, fight and kill each other with as much consuming passion when there are harems of beautiful women to possess as when there are none.
The corresponding cross-species evidence is that females find males with status, power and possession irresistible and converge on such men in droves preferring to share a single male potentate with a horde of other women that exclusive monogamous relationship with a lower status male.
Hence, high class males do not fight with other men to possess females(in the naive understanding of how it works) rather females compete fiercely among themselves for the few available high status males by mastering the techniques of stimulus control of male sexual response.
Only low status males, who have nothing to offer in terms of life supporting choice estate quarrel among themselves for the possession of usually indifferent females.
Given, however, the opportunity of a loftier symbol of status and power to fight over, even the low status male will abandon his apparent lust for sex, and the females stand the risk of sexual neglect.
Source...