Animal War and Human War: A Reading of Contemporary World Conflicts through the A-B.F-N Theory

This research originates from a universal human question: If animals wage organized wars, expand their territories, and exhibit complex behaviors (such as same-sex sexual behavior in narwhals and chimpanzees), what distinguishes human warfare? Are we merely evolved apes, or is there an additional essence that transforms biological violence into a phenomenon imbued with moral and historical meaning? To answer this, we present the A-B.F-N model as an analytical framework distinguishing between: (B) the biological substrate shared among humans, animals, and machines; (F) the internal sovereignty that distinguishes human consciousness through its capacity for moral veto, meaning-making, and existential reflection; and (Nf) the normal functional integration representing optimal coupling between B and F. By comparing chimpanzee warfare in Gombe (1974-1978) with contemporary human conflicts (Ukraine, Iran, America, Russia), and integrating evidence from animal behavior studies (narwhal research, 2025) and neuroscience (dissociative states), we demonstrate that war in humans is a compound phenomenon: fueled by (B) instinct, yet shaped, justified, and perpetuated through (F) ideology, narrative, and memory. Conclusion: Understanding this dialectic is not philosophical luxury, but an ethical imperative; before any war, we must remember the (F) within us: the capacity to say no to injustice, even when instinct serves otherwise. This research is a message to humanity: (F) is what distinguishes us, yet it sometimes weakens and sometimes prevails. We must ensure it always prevails.