本文旨在檢討歐洲與美國人際間暴力的歷史證據，並略論及亞洲。討論此課題時，連繫著國家機構對暴力的獨占程度，以及強調武勇與強悍的男性榮譽規範的普及情形。中古歐洲的國家結構尚不穩定，世代血仇相當普遍，凶殺率亦高。自十六世紀始，凶殺率持續下降，正與強大穩定的國家興起同時。男性榮譽概念漸趨精神化、道德化，取代以暴力捍衛個人榮譽，導致了十八世紀後凶殺率更為下降。決鬥是舊有榮譽觀念的最後堡壘，直到一次大戰後才消失。從此，歐洲社會已算是相當和平。在美國，這種暴力長期下降的現象並不顯著。雖然二十世紀的暴力已比十九世紀減少，直到今天美國的凶殺率仍較歐洲國家高出許多。傳統粗獷的榮譽規範仍有很大的影響力，它先在南北戰爭前的南方白人社群中生根，又為南方黑人與新移民所接受。本文假設美國的高凶殺率與源自美國革命的自立文化有關，民主成為自我防衛權利的概念。亞洲的局部數據指出，擁有穩定國家結構的國家也擁有相對較低的凶殺率，以及不再強調以暴力自衛的男性榮譽概念。最後本文指出，討論長期發展軌跡之時，世界各個區域都可以作為有意義的分析單位，「世界文明」並非停留在想像層次。

This article reviews the historical evidence about interpersonal violence in Europe and America and concludes with a brief look at Asia. It discusses this subject in connection with the level of monopolization of violence by state institutions and the prevalence of a male honor code which stresses bravery and toughness. In medieval Europe, where no stable state structures existed, the vendetta was common and homicide rates were high. Homicide rates started upon a secular decline in the sixteenth century, simultaneously with the rise of stronger and more stable states. In the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries the level of interpersonal violence was still relatively high, and fights were often ritualized. Gradually, however, concepts of male honor started to change, becoming more spiritual and based on notions of virtue instead of the violent defense of one's honor. All this led to even lower homicide rates from the eighteenth century onward. The duel remained the last stronghold of the older notion of honor and ritual fighting, surviving until the First World War. From then on, despite a slight upsurge of violence since about 1970, European societies were relatively pacified. In America—that is, the territory that became the United States--this long-term decline of violence was much less marked. Although the twentieth century overall was less violent than the nineteenth, homicide rates continue to be much above the average European level, as is the case even today. At the same time, the traditional macho honor code tends to hold sway. It first took root among Southern whites before the Civil War, was adopted after slavery by Southern blacks and then taken to the inner cities throughout the U.S., reinforced by new immigrants. The article presents the hypothesis that the persistence of high levels of homicide in the U.S. are related to the prevalence of a self-help culture that originated at the time of the American Revolution. Democracy became associated with the idea of a right to self-defense. Some scattered data from Asia suggest that countries which have stable state structures (in the present, though this may have been different in the past) also witness relatively low levels of homicide as well as notions of male honor that do not focus on violent self-defense. Less stable states have higher homicide rates and the traditional macho honor code is more prominent. Finally, it is suggested that, rather than imaginary "world civilizations," various regions of the world are meaningful units of analysis for understanding processes of long-term change and their trajectories.