Podcast
Questions and Answers
According to Christopher Coker, what distinguishes human warfare from animal aggression?
According to Christopher Coker, what distinguishes human warfare from animal aggression?
- Animals lack the biological capacity for aggression.
- Animals do not exhibit any form of aggression.
- Humans are more prone to territorial disputes than animals.
- Humans organize war on a large scale and engage in strategic planning for ideological reasons. (correct)
According to Michael Howard, what initiated the regulation of war through diplomacy and state sovereignty?
According to Michael Howard, what initiated the regulation of war through diplomacy and state sovereignty?
- The Enlightenment
- The rise of ancient empires
- The Treaty of Westphalia (correct)
- Economic interdependence
Which concept, supported by Enlightenment thinkers like Kant and Rousseau, was viewed as a way to institutionalize peace?
Which concept, supported by Enlightenment thinkers like Kant and Rousseau, was viewed as a way to institutionalize peace?
- Balance of power
- Economic interdependence
- Pragmatic utopianism
- International cooperation and republican government (correct)
What shattered the optimism that economic interdependence would reduce the likelihood of war?
What shattered the optimism that economic interdependence would reduce the likelihood of war?
According to Alex Bellamy, what undermines the possibility of achieving world peace?
According to Alex Bellamy, what undermines the possibility of achieving world peace?
In the context of the Rwandan genocide, what does the Roméo Dallaire documentary, 'Shake Hands with the Devil,' primarily highlight?
In the context of the Rwandan genocide, what does the Roméo Dallaire documentary, 'Shake Hands with the Devil,' primarily highlight?
According to Freud, what instigates war?
According to Freud, what instigates war?
According to Margaret Mead, what primarily drives warfare, challenging the notion of it being a biological necessity?
According to Margaret Mead, what primarily drives warfare, challenging the notion of it being a biological necessity?
According to Chris Hedges, what deceptive power does war hold, beyond simple violence and destruction?
According to Chris Hedges, what deceptive power does war hold, beyond simple violence and destruction?
What adaptive role does aggression serve across the animal kingdom, including humans?
What adaptive role does aggression serve across the animal kingdom, including humans?
What is meant by the term 'security dilemma' in international relations?
What is meant by the term 'security dilemma' in international relations?
What key element is needed to overcome the security dilemma and promote cooperation in international relations?
What key element is needed to overcome the security dilemma and promote cooperation in international relations?
According to Barbara Ehrenreich's 'Blood Rites,' what societal shift contributed to the emergence of war in early human societies?
According to Barbara Ehrenreich's 'Blood Rites,' what societal shift contributed to the emergence of war in early human societies?
What does Ehrenreich identify as a key component in the psychological link between war and masculinity?
What does Ehrenreich identify as a key component in the psychological link between war and masculinity?
Which concept did Raphael Lemkin coin in his effort to address and prevent atrocities like the Armenian genocide?
Which concept did Raphael Lemkin coin in his effort to address and prevent atrocities like the Armenian genocide?
According to Mary Kaldor, what is a primary distinction between 'old wars' and 'new wars'?
According to Mary Kaldor, what is a primary distinction between 'old wars' and 'new wars'?
According to Kaldor, new wars are more about:
According to Kaldor, new wars are more about:
According to Herfried Münkler, what is a key factor indicating the decline of state monopolies on violence, an attribute of new wars?
According to Herfried Münkler, what is a key factor indicating the decline of state monopolies on violence, an attribute of new wars?
In the context of new wars, why have external military interventions become more complex?
In the context of new wars, why have external military interventions become more complex?
According to Kenneth Waltz's theory on the causes of war, what key aspect of the international system leads to conflict?
According to Kenneth Waltz's theory on the causes of war, what key aspect of the international system leads to conflict?
Which of the following best describes a key critique of Kenneth Waltz's theory on the causes of war?
Which of the following best describes a key critique of Kenneth Waltz's theory on the causes of war?
What does 'ethnic cleansing' refer to, as defined in the context of genocide and nationalism?
What does 'ethnic cleansing' refer to, as defined in the context of genocide and nationalism?
According to Zygmunt Bauman, how is the Holocaust connected to modernity?
According to Zygmunt Bauman, how is the Holocaust connected to modernity?
According to Bauman, what is a dangerous aspect of modernity that contributed to the Holocaust?
According to Bauman, what is a dangerous aspect of modernity that contributed to the Holocaust?
Christopher Coker argues that war is not pathological but deeply embedded in history and evolution due to evolutionary roots and strategic planning. According to Coker, what specific element makes war uniquely human?
Christopher Coker argues that war is not pathological but deeply embedded in history and evolution due to evolutionary roots and strategic planning. According to Coker, what specific element makes war uniquely human?
Michael Howard views that historically, wars were considered normal that existed in the world and in certain locations. What locations does he specifically state?
Michael Howard views that historically, wars were considered normal that existed in the world and in certain locations. What locations does he specifically state?
Bellamy and Howard are theorists in this text that address the concept of world peace. Which of the following acronyms best represents this theory?
Bellamy and Howard are theorists in this text that address the concept of world peace. Which of the following acronyms best represents this theory?
How did colonial history affect conflicts related to the Rwandan Genocide?
How did colonial history affect conflicts related to the Rwandan Genocide?
According to some anthropologists, can looking at primitive warfare help understand wars?
According to some anthropologists, can looking at primitive warfare help understand wars?
What point does David P. Barash make about Freud's view?
What point does David P. Barash make about Freud's view?
What point does Zygmunt Bauman make about Modernity?
What point does Zygmunt Bauman make about Modernity?
Which term is most associated with the Young Turks' actions against the Armenians, as well as actions by Nazi forces in the Holocaust?
Which term is most associated with the Young Turks' actions against the Armenians, as well as actions by Nazi forces in the Holocaust?
How does ethnic cleansing differ from genocide, according to the material presented?
How does ethnic cleansing differ from genocide, according to the material presented?
After WWII, what did Raphael Lemkin do?
After WWII, what did Raphael Lemkin do?
How did 19th century conflicts revolutionize warfare, moving closer to the current warfare?
How did 19th century conflicts revolutionize warfare, moving closer to the current warfare?
Where did ethnic cleansing emerge?
Where did ethnic cleansing emerge?
What key area drives "new wars" vs typical conflict?
What key area drives "new wars" vs typical conflict?
Flashcards
Is war pathological?
Is war pathological?
War is deeply rooted in human history and evolution, not merely a recent anomaly.
Ethological comparisons
Ethological comparisons
Aggression can serve survival, but humans uniquely wage large-scale, ideological wars.
Rise of technology in war
Rise of technology in war
Technology, like AI, could reshape human involvement in warfare.
Is peace a modern construct?
Is peace a modern construct?
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Treaty of Westphalia (1648)
Treaty of Westphalia (1648)
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Enlightenment thinkers' view on peace
Enlightenment thinkers' view on peace
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20th-century 'total war'
20th-century 'total war'
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Is war declining?
Is war declining?
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Skepticism about peace
Skepticism about peace
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'Positive peace'
'Positive peace'
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Rwandan genocide, 1994
Rwandan genocide, 1994
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Burden of witnessing mass slaughter.
Burden of witnessing mass slaughter.
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Lessons from failures
Lessons from failures
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W.A.R. (Coker & Howard acronym)
W.A.R. (Coker & Howard acronym)
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Adaptation and diplomacy
Adaptation and diplomacy
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P.E.A.C.E. (Bellamy & Howard acronym)
P.E.A.C.E. (Bellamy & Howard acronym)
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Economic interdependence
Economic interdependence
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War as adaptive behavior
War as adaptive behavior
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'Imagined Communities'
'Imagined Communities'
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Motivation of war in society.
Motivation of war in society.
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Peace as a modern invention
Peace as a modern invention
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Pre-modern view of war
Pre-modern view of war
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Treaty of Westphalia and state sovereignty
Treaty of Westphalia and state sovereignty
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Criticism of Howard
Criticism of Howard
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Bellamy's argument
Bellamy's argument
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Skepticism about peace and militarisation
Skepticism about peace and militarisation
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Rwanda's failure
Rwanda's failure
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Security dilemma
Security dilemma
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Why does war persist in cultures?
Why does war persist in cultures?
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Societies that lack war
Societies that lack war
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Warfare social invention
Warfare social invention
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War as a source of meaning
War as a source of meaning
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Freud: The result of war
Freud: The result of war
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Freud: Solution to war
Freud: Solution to war
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Mead: The nature of war
Mead: The nature of war
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Biological functions of aggression
Biological functions of aggression
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Humans and aggression
Humans and aggression
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Conflict and Increase vs. Decrease
Conflict and Increase vs. Decrease
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Human deeper aggressions.
Human deeper aggressions.
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Consequences of war
Consequences of war
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Study Notes
The Nature of War and Its Evolution
- War is not "pathological" but is deeply embedded in human history and evolution
- Aggression serves survival functions, however war is uniquely human due to large-scale organization and strategic planning
- Animals exhibit aggression, but humans uniquely engage in large-scale, ideological wars
- The rise of technology (AI, cyber warfare) may redefine human involvement in war
The Invention of Peace
- Peace is a modern construct whereas war was historically seen as normal
- The Treaty of Westphalia (1648) initiated war regulation through diplomacy and state sovereignty
- Enlightenment thinkers like Kant and Rousseau argued for the institutionalization of peace
- Economic interdependence was initially thought to reduce the likelihood of war, but WWI disproved this
- The 20th-century war evolved into "total war" which involved the mobilization of entire societies and nuclear deterrence
Possibility vs. Skepticism
- Despite conflicts in Syria, Yemen, and Ukraine, overall war is declining
- Historical examples from the Minoans, Harappans, and Phoenicians show peaceful societies have existed
- Skepticism about peace can be self-fulfilling because the belief in war's inevitability justifies militarization
- Peace should be pursued through "pragmatic utopianism" or incremental reforms
- The "liberal, rules-based order" post-1945 is misleading as great powers still violate international norms
- "Positive peace" which constitutes social justice and equality is too broad; peace should focus on preventing war
International Failures and Moral Responsibility
- The 1994 Rwandan genocide occurred when the UN and global powers ignored warnings of mass killings
- Dallaire's psychological trauma included PTSD, and the moral burden of witnessing mass slaughter without the ability to intervene
- Western nations, specifically France, enabled the genocide by supporting the Hutu government
- Lessons include the understanding that political inaction enables atrocities, so peace requires active, sustained engagement
Christopher Coker – Why War?
- War is not an anomaly, but an intrinsic and deeply ingrained feature of human history and evolution that's rooted in human biology and social conditioning
- It's an adaptive behavior linked to survival and competition for resources; however, humans fight not only for survival but for abstract concepts like ideology, nationhood, and religion
- Coker's argument integrates evolutionary biology with social theory, giving a multifaceted explanation for war
- His use of Benedict Anderson's "Imagined Communities" details how wars are fought for ideas and aligns with examples of ideologically driven conflicts
- By framing war as an inevitable evolutionary outcome, the capacity for human agency and choice is overlooked
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