Nature of War & Invention of Peace

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Questions and Answers

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?

  • 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?

  • 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?

<p>World War I (D)</p>
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According to Alex Bellamy, what undermines the possibility of achieving world peace?

<p>The belief that war is unavoidable (D)</p>
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In the context of the Rwandan genocide, what does the Roméo Dallaire documentary, 'Shake Hands with the Devil,' primarily highlight?

<p>The moral and political failures of the international community to intervene. (A)</p>
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According to Freud, what instigates war?

<p>A direct clash of human instincts; the life instinct (Eros) and the death instinct (Thanatos) (C)</p>
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According to Margaret Mead, what primarily drives warfare, challenging the notion of it being a biological necessity?

<p>Social conventions (D)</p>
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According to Chris Hedges, what deceptive power does war hold, beyond simple violence and destruction?

<p>Meaning and unity (D)</p>
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What adaptive role does aggression serve across the animal kingdom, including humans?

<p>Securing mates, food, and territory (C)</p>
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What is meant by the term 'security dilemma' in international relations?

<p>A situation where a state's actions to increase its own security provoke fear and insecurity in other states. (B)</p>
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What key element is needed to overcome the security dilemma and promote cooperation in international relations?

<p>Trust (D)</p>
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According to Barbara Ehrenreich's 'Blood Rites,' what societal shift contributed to the emergence of war in early human societies?

<p>The decline of large animal populations and the need for males to find new roles for asserting dominance. (C)</p>
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What does Ehrenreich identify as a key component in the psychological link between war and masculinity?

<p>War as a demonstration of courage, strength, and skill in the absence of hunting large animals. (B)</p>
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Which concept did Raphael Lemkin coin in his effort to address and prevent atrocities like the Armenian genocide?

<p>Genocide (A)</p>
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According to Mary Kaldor, what is a primary distinction between 'old wars' and 'new wars'?

<p>Old wars are state-controlled with professional armies, while new wars involve non-state actors and militias. (D)</p>
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According to Kaldor, new wars are more about:

<p>Controlling populations, instilling fear, and perpetuating a conflict economy. (B)</p>
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According to Herfried Münkler, what is a key factor indicating the decline of state monopolies on violence, an attribute of new wars?

<p>The ability of non-state actors to challenge state forces using asymmetric warfare. (B)</p>
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In the context of new wars, why have external military interventions become more complex?

<p>The global nature of modern conflicts and the complication of conflict resolution. (C)</p>
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According to Kenneth Waltz's theory on the causes of war, what key aspect of the international system leads to conflict?

<p>The anarchic nature of the international system. (D)</p>
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Which of the following best describes a key critique of Kenneth Waltz's theory on the causes of war?

<p>Overemphasis on the structural forces and neglect of agency and domestic politics. (A)</p>
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What does 'ethnic cleansing' refer to, as defined in the context of genocide and nationalism?

<p>The forced removal of an ethnic or religious group from a specific territory to create a homogenous region. (D)</p>
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According to Zygmunt Bauman, how is the Holocaust connected to modernity?

<p>As a direct product of modern bureaucratic systems, technological advancements, and rationalization of social processes that enabled its efficient and systematic execution. (B)</p>
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According to Bauman, what is a dangerous aspect of modernity that contributed to the Holocaust?

<p>A rationality that prioritizes technical considerations over ethical concerns (D)</p>
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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?

<p>Large scale organization and strategic planning (B)</p>
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Michael Howard views that historically, wars were considered normal that existed in the world and in certain locations. What locations does he specifically state?

<p>Ancient empires and feudal Europe (B)</p>
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Bellamy and Howard are theorists in this text that address the concept of world peace. Which of the following acronyms best represents this theory?

<p>P.E.A.C.E. (B)</p>
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How did colonial history affect conflicts related to the Rwandan Genocide?

<p>The Rwanda Civil War had colonialist roots that deepened ethnic tensions between Hutus and Tutsis. (A)</p>
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According to some anthropologists, can looking at primitive warfare help understand wars?

<p>Sometimes emphasize that these primitive groups help illuminate conditions under which group violence has ever evolved. (C)</p>
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What point does David P. Barash make about Freud's view?

<p>Freud linked war with Thanatos, the death drives. (B)</p>
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What point does Zygmunt Bauman make about Modernity?

<p>That modern bureaucratic systems, technological advancements, and rationalization lead to events like The Holocaust. (B)</p>
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Which term is most associated with the Young Turks' actions against the Armenians, as well as actions by Nazi forces in the Holocaust?

<p>Genocide (A)</p>
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How does ethnic cleansing differ from genocide, according to the material presented?

<p>Ethnic cleansing focuses more on displacement rather than outright extermination. (B)</p>
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After WWII, what did Raphael Lemkin do?

<p>He continued to try to get his ideas into policy that could come to fruition for future protection. (B)</p>
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How did 19th century conflicts revolutionize warfare, moving closer to the current warfare?

<p>Industrialization increased firepower and logistics, which helped the scale of warfare. (C)</p>
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Where did ethnic cleansing emerge?

<p>The Balkans (A)</p>
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What key area drives "new wars" vs typical conflict?

<p>identity-based violence (C)</p>
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Flashcards

Is war pathological?

War is deeply rooted in human history and evolution, not merely a recent anomaly.

Ethological comparisons

Aggression can serve survival, but humans uniquely wage large-scale, ideological wars.

Rise of technology in war

Technology, like AI, could reshape human involvement in warfare.

Is peace a modern construct?

Historically, it was just a normal political tool. Now it is not.

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Treaty of Westphalia (1648)

It began to regulate war with diplomacy and state sovereignty.

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Enlightenment thinkers' view on peace

They believed that peace could be created through institutions and laws. A new way to make/think about peace

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20th-century 'total war'

It evolved into all-encompassing conflicts and nuclear deterrence.

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Is war declining?

Despite some conflicts, the trend shows it is declining overall.

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Skepticism about peace

Believing war is unavoidable makes it more likely to happen.

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'Positive peace'

Peace should focus on stopping war before it starts.

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Rwandan genocide, 1994

In 1994, the UN and global powers ignored warnings, leading to mass killings.

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Burden of witnessing mass slaughter.

Witnessing mass slaughter causes psychological trauma.

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Lessons from failures

Political inaction allows atrocities, requiring active engagement to sustain peace.

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W.A.R. (Coker & Howard acronym)

Warfare stems from both evolution (aggression) and strategic intellect.

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Adaptation and diplomacy

Humans innovate through war, and it is now regulated through diplomacy.

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P.E.A.C.E. (Bellamy & Howard acronym)

Peace stems from pragmatic reforms, economic interdependence, and education.

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Economic interdependence

It discourages war, and avoiding war is a choice, not an instinct. It requires comparisons between peaceful societies that exist.

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War as adaptive behavior

War is not simply aggression; it also involves strategic planning.

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'Imagined Communities'

Wars are driven by ideas (nations, ideologies), not just resources.

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Motivation of war in society.

War expanded from family to the state to provide a sense of purpose and meaning.

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Peace as a modern invention

War is a product of politics and institutional growth, where diplomacy and institutions shape politics and economic interests..

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Pre-modern view of war

War was seen as acceptable and sometimes honorable

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Treaty of Westphalia and state sovereignty

the shift from endless war to diplomatic conflict resolution.

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Criticism of Howard

His belief can be seen as idealistic given UN failures to prevent atrocities.

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Bellamy's argument

The decline in interstate wars since 1945.

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Skepticism about peace and militarisation

Believing war is inevitable makes it more likely.

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Rwanda's failure

The 1994 Rwandan expeirence showd this

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Security dilemma

Countries build up arms, making others scared and causing a spiral.

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Why does war persist in cultures?

People, especially young men, gain honour and status through war.

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Societies that lack war

The idea of organised war in that society.

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Warfare social invention

The idea was not always present in societies that had it.

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War as a source of meaning

War provides a sense of purpose, especially when it feels shallow.

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Freud: The result of war

War is a results of instincts, as part of his theories.

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Freud: Solution to war

It may reduce over time through connecting emotionally.

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Mead: The nature of war

It's a cultural invention that societies chose to use.

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Biological functions of aggression

Control over territory, food, and mates.

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Humans and aggression

humans trigger more easily than primates.

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Conflict and Increase vs. Decrease

Success increases, failure decreases.

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Human deeper aggressions.

deeper impulses such as sex, dominance, or possession.

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Consequences of war

Global, with no society safe and the risk of extinction.

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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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