...Is War Primarily the Product of ‘Human Nature’? It is too great a task to identify a common cause of all wars, past and present, then attribute it responsibility for their commencing. However, what can be done is to identify certain foundations common in all “war”, and pay heed to how “states [or other structures] actually behave, behind the façade of their values-based rhetoric” (Kaplan, 2012, p.1). It will be this essay’s goal to determine first, what needs be included in the definition of “human nature”, and what constitutes “war”, and second, stake the claim that all political action, including that of states, is derived primarily from this definition of human nature. The first task is to define what is meant by “war”, and while definitions abound, it is possible to order them into one of two categories supplied by the Shorter Oxford English Dictionary. The first is the modern conventional view, that war is “the state of armed conflict between nations or states” (Oxford, 2007, p.3573), and the second, considerably broader, of “any active hostility or struggle between living beings” (Oxford, 2007, p.3573). The former accounts well for conflicts that were overwhelmingly state-centric, such as the First World War, and marks a clear distinction between war and individual political violence: war is the business of states. However, is the Vietnam War to be understood—like the Korean—as a simple north versus south conflict, despite the northern state only assuming active involvementnine...
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...War is an organized and often prolonged conflict that is carried out by states or non-state actors. It is generally characterised by extreme violence, social disruption and an attempt at economic destruction. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political communities, and therefore is defined as a form of (collective) political violence or intervention. The set of techniques used by a group to carry out war is known as warfare. An absence of war is usually called peace. While some scholars see warfare as an inescapable and integral aspect of human nature,[1] others argue that it is only inevitable under certain socio-cultural or ecological circumstances.[2] For some, the practice of war is not linked to any single type of political organization or society. Rather, as discussed by John Keegan in his A History of Warfare, war is a universal phenomenon whose form and scope is defined by the society that wages it. Another argument suggests that since there are human societies in which warfare does not exist, humans may not be naturally disposed for warfare, which emerges under particular circumstances. The deadliest war in history, in terms of the cumulative number of deaths since its start, is the Second World War, with 60–85 million deaths, followed by the Mongol conquests.[3] Proportionally speaking, the most destructive war in modern history is the War of the Triple Alliance, which took the lives of over 60% of Paraguay's...
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...War War could be simply defined as an organized armed War is an organized, armed, and, often, a prolonged conflict that is carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extremeaggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality.[1][2] War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political communities, and therefore is defined as a form of political violence.[1][3] The set of techniques used by a group to carry out war is known as warfare. An absence of war (and other violence) is usually called peace. In 2003, Nobel Laureate Richard E. Smalley identified war as the sixth (of ten) biggest problem facing the society of mankind for the next fifty years.[4]In the 1832 treatise On War, Prussian military general and theoretician Carl von Clausewitz defined war as follows: "War is thus an act of force to compel our enemy to do our will."[5] While some scholars see warfare as an inescapable and integral aspect of human culture, others argue that it is only inevitable under certain socio-cultural or ecological circumstances. Some scholars argue that the practice of war is not linked to any single type of political organization or society. Rather, as discussed by John Keegan in his History of Warfare, war is a universal phenomenon whose form and scope is defined by the society that wages it.[6] Another argument suggests that since there are human societies in which warfare does not exist, humans may not be naturally...
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...Dear Private Yare, What were the reasons for your presence in the war? Plenty join to become one of the many; others join for a cause and/or to resolve an injustice. Were you with your mates when you joined the cause? Did you do it for your country? Or did you do it for the glory? Were you sitting at home, counting the days until your departure? Did your parents know? Did you run away like many of the others? Lately whist watching films of wartime endeavors, I began to question war in general and it’s parts. The definition explains that war is a state of armed conflict between different nations, or states, or within different groups in a state. The thought of war brings a distasteful taste in my mouth. Personally, I view war as a violent and unnecessary act; a bias perspective due to that fact that none of my immediate family members are part of the military. Yet, my curiosity prevails and questions arise. Did your naivety drive your decisions when you first heard of draft, Private? Did you intend to fight for the injustice? Or were you eager to sign your life away? I repudiate that there were those who did not try to dissuade you from leaving with warnings of disclosures. You must have been aware of the horrors and nightmares found in the battlefield and the trenches. In the field, were you part of the virtuous aviators in the sky? Or a brave infantryman, with a gun in hand, at the frontier? If you do not mind me asking, how does it feel to kill? There must be an unforgettable...
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...War is a state of armed and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or parties[1][2] typified by extreme aggression, societal disruption, and high mortality.[1] As a behavior pattern, warlike tendencies are found in many primate species,[3] including humans, and also found in many ant species.[4][5][6] The set of techniques used by a group to carry out war is known as warfare. An absence of war is ususally called peace. War generally involves two or more organized groups or parties (often, nations). Such a conflict is always an attempt at altering either the psychological or material hierarchy of domination or equality between such groups. In all cases, at least one participant (group) in the conflict perceives the need to either psychologically or materially dominate the other participant. In all wars, the group(s) experiencing the need to dominate other group(s) are unable and unwilling to accept or permit the possibility of a relationship of fundamental equality to exist between the groups who have opted for group violence (war). The aspect of domination that is a precipitating factor in all wars, i.e. one group wishing to dominate another, is also often a precipitating factor in individual one-on-one violence outside of the context of war, i.e. one individual wishing to dominate another.[7] In 2003, Nobel Laureate Richard E. Smalley identified war as the sixth (of ten) biggest problems facing the society of mankind for the next fifty years.[8]...
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...for them to survive, there is one thing the Dani people do all day, every day, and that is fight. Some have called the endless battles in which the different Dani tribes participate a war, but it is not. What the Dani have would be considered a feud, or a never-ending stream of revenge killings. The Marine Corps defines war as “A violent clash of interests between or among organized groups characterized by the use of military force,” and continues to define the essence of war as “A violent struggle between two hostile, independent, and irreconcilable wills, each trying to impose itself on another.” In the case of the Dani, their battles are occurring purely for revenge, either for the death of a fellow Dani in a previous battle, or the death of one in a raid on a village or settlement. Thus neither side is trying to push their beliefs or way of life onto one another. A feud is defined as “A state of prolonged mutual hostility, typically between two families or communities, characterized by murderous assaults in revenge for previous injuries.” This spells out what occurs between the Dani tribes to a T. Each battle occurs entirely because in a previous battle someone was wounded or killed. In conclusion, the frequent, and almost daily battles that take place within the Baliem Valley is not war, or warfare. It is a simple feud, one that takes place out of a want for revenge as much as a increased level of...
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...Women’s Power Thao Vo Monday 4:30-5:45 War, the word that has been and will always be the word that no one wants to hear or think about. Aristophanes, a writer of ancient Athens, wrote a comedy to discuss the serious topic of war and how it affected the Greeks. He is also the author of Lysistrata, a play where Aristophanes expressed his feeling and thought about the war during this period of time. “Aristophanes wrote to express his vision on life, his delight in life itself seen behind the warping screen of contemporary event.” In this play, we will get to see the importance and serious meaning of war toward the union, espectually the soldiers’ family. The play Lysistrata is about the war between Athens and Sparta. This play is about the story of “ an Athenian matron who convinces the women of Athens and Sparta to withhold sex from their husband until they sign a peace treaty.”The main character is Lysistrata, and she is one of the Athens’ women that willingly to stand up toward the men just to bring peace back. She does not want war between the cities in Greeks. Lysistrata wanted to save Greeks and she believed that if all the women agreed then they can achieve the tremendous goal. “So fine it comes to this--Greece saved by Woman!” She held a meeting with all the other women and told them about her plan to bring peace. There is only one way to save the union is to make all the women withhold sexual privileges with their husband. “sexually explicitly to a degree that can...
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...“War is over, if you want it.” As the text shows, this picture clearly demonstrates a strong anti-war stance. In the middle and above part of this picture, the sentence “War is over” is arranged in large and bold typeface, which can attract visitors’ sight even at the first glance; while the sentence “If you want it” is placed in the bottom of the picture, catching visitors’ eyes after they paid attention to “War is over”, and setting them in deeper thinking about this theme. Having been seen as a popular theme ever since human civilization began to emerge, “peace” once play the role as the sacrificial lamb of every social development in human history. Even in the modern society, wars never shows any signal of fading away. Today, many nations, especially the retarded ones, would be possibly locked deeply in conflicts, fighting for land, food, natural resources. It’s hard to say who would be the beneficiaries of the frequent wars, but one thing we know for sure is that the masses are the biggest victims. “Let’s hope it’s a good one, without fear.” John Lennon eulogized peace in his song War Is Over, so I believe that, as an artistic work, this picture, mourns the great singer when criticizing wars and hegemonism. More than 30 years after Lennon’s death, the flames of wars are still raging today. Even more people have engaged in peacekeeping activities, we still have a long way to go to live in “a peaceful time”. Peace is adorable, while wars are detestable; peace heals while wars...
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...The Philosophy of War Derek Garner PHI 103 Informal Logic Instructor Michael Larson 8/10/15 The Philosophy of War War can be defined in many different ways. It can be a conflict between nations or states or between schools of thought or ideologies. J. Locke states, "the state of war is a state of enmity and destruction" (pg 1). Every human being has the right to defend themselves against threats of violence or destruction. If someone attempts to enslave another, they have the right to protect their life against someone who is trying to obtain absolute power by whatever means necessary. By the law of nature, man or country has the right to destroy that of which threatens them. In order to identify the premises, we must first realize what causes war. Theorists claim that man is a product of his environment, but he also possesses the power to change that environment. Some often presume that mankind, as a whole, is subject to forces that prompt him to wage war, due to a culture or political nature. According to J. Locke, "men living together according to reason, without a common superior on earth, with authority to judge between them, is properly the state of nature" (pg 2). The premises are clear when it comes to war. Man has a preservation to protect himself and his possessions. He also has the right to protect his land and his country. In the end, man will have to answer, for his sins, to a judge or a higher...
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...Battle The definition of war is an organized, prolonged conflict between states and non-state actor. War is generally characterized with extreme violence, destructions and often-social disruption. In society and politics, war is understood to be a form of political violence because it is the widespread and intentional forced of conflict between political communities. As a nation, War has been hot topic for debate since the establishment of our country. When the Mayflower landed on Plymouth Rock and the Pilgrims started the creation of what the nation of United States is today, war had to be taken place. The United States has utilized war in order to resolve and face political issues that were burdening the county, whether is over was over taxation over representation, the issue on slavery, and now societies current issue, the war on Terror. Whether citizens support it or not, War has become a major aspect of this country due to the fact of the patriotism surrounding the subject and the purpose of serving and defending your country doctrine. In recent years, superior nations such as the Untied States have produced new technological ways of how to conduct warfare without the responsibility of any casualties. In retrospect, these innovative weapons are great because it protects the defense team from casualties and mishaps within war and it “gets the job done”. But with all these positive aspects of these new technologies, are we loosing the concept of war? With the use of these autonomous...
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...Laura Torres ENG 105 Professor Trigonis February 25, 2010 The Simplicity of War “The condition of man…is a condition of war everyone against everyone.” This quote from the English philosopher Thomas Hobbes portrays war as a simple concept-everyone against everyone. However, when looked at more closely, and when reaching a deeper understanding of the actual individuals involved, war is a very complex word that can have very different meanings to different people. This idea is clearly visible through the characters introduced in the two war movies, No Man’s Land and Inglorious Basterds. Both movies take a deeper look into the complex emotions that war can inflict on the individuals involved. Both pieces explore how the extremely trying times of war affect the characters’ actions and rationalize what initially may seem like irrational ideas. No Man’s Land presents a situation where two enemies are face to face, both given opportunities to kill the other, but both choosing not too. The audience watches as the two men slowly learn that they may not be so different, and experiences the reasoning behind why each man found it difficult to kill the other. These two soldiers were given a rare opportunity to be one on one with the enemy and by human nature develop a sense of compassion towards each other. In Inglorious Basterds, Shosanna is also given a rare opportunity; to achieve revenge on the Nazis’ responsible for the violent death of her family. This character...
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...The Dichotomy of War According to Freud our life is played out in two different, opposing forces. One of them, Eros, is the drive for sex, love, and self-preservation, whereas the other is known as Thanatos, the drive for death and self-destruction. It is the yin and yang of motivations and urges. Put simply, Eros wants us to live and struggle through and with pain and suffering; Thanatos prefers to end it all with death, the equalizer, the dark force, the state of constant peace, calm and rest. My father, a 66 year old retired plumber, is a Vietnam vet seeking treatment for Post Traumatic Stress Disorder for the first time in his life. He has two purple hearts and a plethora of mal-adaptive coping skills which have come rather pronounced in his golden years. He lives on a 117 acre ranch in Ellensburg, Washington. His home is off-grid meaning he is not connected to any public utilities and produces his own energy and his home is completely self-sufficient. Most would say this is a remote way of living. Some would say it’s a form of isolation. With all of this privacy at his fingertips, my father still chooses to venture out into the wilderness for days at a time by himself, with his rifle. There is no question in my mind that war gave my father purpose and meaning that is still a part of his identity today but in ways he still doesn’t fully comprehend. As a result of his war experience, he felt pulled in both directions of Eros and Thanatos; the will to survive and the...
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...Book Report on The Art of War by Sun Tzu Military Science 2020 “Stimulated disorder postulates perfect discipline; stimulated fear postulates courage; stimulated weakness postulates strength” (Tzu, pg. 20) “The Art of War” by Sun Tzu is a book that contains leadership lessons for everyone. The book was first written in 490 BC in the Kingdom of Wu. In 512 BC, he became the general for the King of Wu. The book contains thirteen chapters showcasing strategies to face challenges and overcome complex problems. The chapters outlines attack by stratagem; tactical dispositions; energy; weak points and strong; maneuvering; variation of tactics; the army on the march; terrain; the nine situations; the attack by fire; and the use of spies. “The Art of War” is read by people in military careers, business professionals, management professionals, and basically anyone in a field where people interaction is vital to the success of an operation. “The Art of War” is not a book that exploits on war and the glory or honor that comes with winning a battle, but instead, it focuses on realizing reckless mistakes that can be avoided and abuse of power. Popular war books are bombarded with stories of death, destruction, and sad aftermaths of war. This book teaches lessons that can change the way daily situations are handled. In return, the result will have a positive outcome on relationships between countries, leaders, and business owners. Any person that decides to forget the past or doesn’t...
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...Chapter 2: Waging War [Ts`ao Kung has the note: "He who wishes to fight must first count the cost," which prepares us for the discovery that the subject of the chapter is not what we might expect from the title, but is primarily a consideration of ways and means.] 1. Sun Tzu said: In the operations of war, where there are in the field a thousand swift chariots, as many heavy chariots, and a hundred thousand mail-clad soldiers, [The "swift chariots" were lightly built and, according to Chang Yu, used for the attack; the "heavy chariots" were heavier, and designed for purposes of defense. Li Ch`uan, it is true, says that the latter were light, but this seems hardly probable. It is interesting to note the analogies between early Chinese warfare and that of the Homeric Greeks. In each case, the war- chariot was the important factor, forming as it did the nucleus round which was grouped a certain number of foot-soldiers. With regard to the numbers given here, we are informed that each swift chariot was accompanied by 75 footmen, and each heavy chariot by 25 footmen, so that the whole army would be divided up into a thousand battalions, each consisting of two chariots and a hundred men.] with provisions enough to carry them a thousand LI, [2.78 modern LI go to a mile. The length may have varied slightly since Sun Tzu's time.] the expenditure at home and at the front, including entertainment of guests, small items such as glue and paint, and sums spent on chariots and armor...
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...“War, what is it good for.” These words, sung by Edwin Starr, characterized American youth during the 70’s. The Vietnam war had been raging since 1955 and most Americans were sick and tired of reasons behind the conflict. As Muhammad Ali, who refused to engage in the Vietnam War, was immortalized with his quote “I ain’t got no quarrel with them Vietcong.” However, wars have existed in some form or other since the dawn of human history. Why do societies go to war, and what is the best explanation for this behavior? The answer lies inside the history of war, throughout all of its incarnations and propagators. First, humans are not the only species to engage in warfare. Ants and bees are both seen engaging in large scale aggression against...
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