“Hunting, combat, and propagation were necessary for survival and for evolutionary progress, but that was not his reason for engaging in these activities: he engaged in them because they gave him pleasure. Hunting became, in time, an amusement of the idle rich; it had lost its biological usefulness, but remained enjoyable. Combat, of the simple sort directly inspired by impulse, is now only permitted to school-boys, but combativeness remains, and, if denied a better outlet, finds its most important expression in war” (Russell 49).
Here, Russell mentioned that it is human nature to hunt, to combat, and to propagate. However, the reason human does these things are out of pleasure. A lot of things we do can be explained by our nature, such as war. We express the nature of combativeness by war, but it is also the result of impulse. As Russell expressed earlier in “Social Cohesion and Human Nature”, “I shall begin with the impulses in human nature that make social co-operation possible” (Russell 11), it is our nature to work and to interact with each other. In the process of cooperating, we may raise conflicts, and such lead to a fight, battle, and war. Russell also mentioned later in “The Conflict of Technique and Human Nature” that we all have a self-purpose on doing something, but we rarely share a common purpose. It is the uniqueness of each individual that raises conflict and make progress in our civilization.
I agree with what you have discussed above. It is human nature that he/she performs an action which they have interest in. The hunting part you discussed is a clear example, hunting is being done by the rich now days. But if we look overall and consider all points you have mentioned above (to hunt, to combat, and to propagate) this all clears the picture of being in power and gaining self satisfaction. The nations only indulge in wars so that they can prove who is greater in power and all of the other related aspects.