THE BASIC PREMISE TO THE AGGRESSION MODEL IS THAT ANIMAL AND HUMAN BRAINS HAVE NEURAL SYSTEMS THAT, WHEN FIRED IN THE PRESENCE OF A RELEVANT TARGET, RESULT IN AGGRESSIVE OR DESTRUCTIVE BEHAVIOR TOWARDS THAT TARGET. FOR INSTANCE, ELECTRODES IMPLANTED IN THE HOSTILE PART OF THE NEURAL SYSTEM HAVE PRODUCED INCREASED HOSTILITY WHEN ACTIVATED. AN AFFECTIVE PATTERN DOMINATED BY ANGER AND INCREASED IRRITABILITY HAS BEEN SHOWN TO DEVELOP FROM GENERALIZED DAMAGE TO THE CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM CAUSED BY SUCH DISORDERS AS CEREBRAL ARTERIOSCLEROSIS OR KORSAKOFF'S SYNDROME. THE PROBABILITY OF AGGRESSIVE TENDENCIES HAS ALSO BEEN SHOWN TO INCREASE WITH TEMPORAL LOBE EPILEPSY, ESPECIALLY BETWEEN SEIZURES. LOW THRESHOLDS FOR FIRING THE NEURAL SYSTEMS FOR AGGRESSION HAVE BEEN SHOWN TO BE BUILT BY HEREDITY, BLOOD CHEMISTRY, OR CERTAIN ALLERGENS (POLLENS, INHALANTS, DRUGS, OR FOODS). AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR (OR THE POTENTIAL FOR SUCH) CAN BE ALTERED THROUGH MANIPULATIONS OF AN INDIVIDUAL'S INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT; E.G., THROUGH A COMPLETE OR PARTIAL BILATERAL AMYGDALECTOMY (BRAIN LESION) OR THROUGH ACTIVATION OF THOSE NEURAL SYSTEMS WHICH SEND INHIBATORY FIBERS TO THE AGGRESSION SYSTEMS THROUGH MICRORECEIVERS IMPLANTED ANYWHERE UNDER THE SKIN. HOWEVER, NEITHER OF THESE TECHNIQUES HAVE BEEN DEVELOPED ENOUGH TO BE CONSIDERED EITHER REASONABLE OR USEFUL. SOME HORMONIC CONTROL OF AGGRESSION IS POSSIBLE WITH ESTROGENIC OR PROGESTOGENIC HORMONES OR ANTIANDROGENIC DRUGS, ALTHOUGH THESE METHODS DO PRODUCE SIDE EFFECTS. WHILE THERE IS CURRENTLY NO DRUG WHICH IS A COMPLETELY SPECIFIC ANTIHOSTILITY AGENT, THERE ARE AVAILABLE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PREPARATIONS WHICH DO REDUCE AGGRESSIVE TENDENCIES AS ONE COMPLENENT OF THEIR ACTIONS. PHYSIOLOGICAL CONTROL IS LIMITED FOR LEARNED BEHAVIOR, SUCH AS TERRORISM OR INSTRUMENTAL AGGRESSION. WAR BASED ON PRIMARILY NONEMOTIONAL MOTIVATIONS WILL NOT BE CURTAILED BY PHYSIOLOGICAL MANIPULATIONS. NEVERTHELESS, THE TECHNOLOGY FOR THE CONTROL OF AGGRESSION IS WELL ON ITS WAY AND THE POWERFUL SIDE EFFECTS OF SUCH CONTROL MUST BE RECOGNIZED. APPROXIMATELY 50 REFERENCES ARE SUPPLIED. (MHP)