Abstract Feuding was a near-universal phenomenon, and a classic topic of anthropology and sociology. This article focuses on feuding among nobles in early modern Germany. The German noble feud assumed characteristics that differentiated it from vendetta. It developed into a distinct institution in terms of its legal status, methods and social conditions. It presents a puzzle: most feuds punctuated ongoing relationships between people who were closely related and socially and economically interdependent. Nobles tended to feud against the very people from whose goodwill they had much to gain and from whose enmity much to lose. Examining it from an evolutionary perspective suggests an answer to a problem that traditional historical approaches have not convincingly explained. The article argues that the same dense web of ties that facilitated cooperation between nobles generated violent conflicts between them. Reputation played a crucial role in this environment. Feuds are best seen as mechanisms of costly signaling one's underlying qualities and commitment to aristocratic values.

中文翻译：

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声誉作为合作和暴力冲突的共同来源：现代早期德国贵族世仇的案例

摘要 世仇是一种近乎普遍的现象，是人类学和社会学的经典课题。这篇文章的重点是近代早期德国贵族之间的争斗。德国贵族世仇具有区别于仇杀的特征。它在法律地位、方法和社会条件方面发展成为一个独特的机构。它提出了一个难题：大多数世仇都打断了密切相关且在社会和经济上相互依存的人们之间的持续关系。贵族们往往与那些对他们的善意有很大好处而对他们的敌意有很大损失的人发生争执。从进化的角度审视它，可以回答传统历史方法无法令人信服地解释的问题。文章认为，促进贵族之间合作的同样密集的关系网在他们之间产生了暴力冲突。在这种环境中，声誉起着至关重要的作用。世仇最好被看作是一种代价高昂的机制，表明一个人的潜在品质和对贵族价值观的承诺。