Regular Defining War Slides.pptx

Defining War Classical Definitions of War Cicero (Roman writer, 1st Century B.C.) War is a “contention by force.” What are the problems with this definition? What needs to be included in it for a fuller definition? Classical Definitions of War Thomas Hobbes (English Philosopher, 17th Century A....

Defining War Classical Definitions of War Cicero (Roman writer, 1st Century B.C.) War is a “contention by force.” What are the problems with this definition? What needs to be included in it for a fuller definition? Classical Definitions of War Thomas Hobbes (English Philosopher, 17th Century A.D.) “By war is meant a state of affairs, which may exist even while its operations are not continued.” • Does this mean there can be a war when there is no fighting? What would that look like? Why would we define it as war? Carl von Clausew itz Carl von Clausewitz (Prussian Military Analyst, 19th Century A.D.) “War is the continuation of politics by other means.” • By this definition, Clausewitz means that war is an act intended to make the enemy do your will. • Clausewitz focused on the use of force and argued that war necessarily involves violence. • For him, war is something that occurs between nation-states and is part of their political relations. • Problems with this definition? • It does not take into account non-state types of conflict • It defines war only from the perspective of the battlefield general. • Sees combat as essential for warfare. Sun Tzu (Chinese Military Analyst 6th Century B.C.) Sun Tzu was a Chinese general who wrote a text on the conduct of war. He didn’t define war but instead focused on how to win it. He stands in contrast to Clausewitz and argued that the ideal is to win a war in as bloodless a way as possible, using many different means including economic, social and political means. Military violence is a last resort. Martin Shaw War is “a type of social action that can be defined as an act of force by an organized social power to compel an enemy to submit to its will.” •None of the above definitions are adequate for sociological understandings. They tend to focus on political, military, or philosophical questions of war. Sociologi cal Approach es to War •What do we need to include in a definition of war in order to understand it from a sociological perspective? • First, we must understand that the way we think about war changes over time due to our historical experiences. Today, war is usually defined as a type of social problem for a number of reasons: Factors in Viewing War as a Social Problem 1. The examples of the World Wars, with their mega-deaths, are still part of our cultural memory. We are also conscious of our potential to end all human life with nuclear and biological weapons. 2. The shrinking of the world due to communication and transport technology. 3. Modern societies face constant disruption due to rapid social change. We don’t need war to further complicate the situation. 4. War is more destructive due to new technologies of war. Civilian populations are now the main target of war. 5. Increased education, literacy, and standard of living has increased awareness of the impacts of war and public pressure to avoid involvement in war. Factors in Viewing War as a Social Problem (cont.) Sociologists also need to know what kind of social conditions are present during war before we can define it. Research suggests that there are four broad social conditions that characterize a condition of war: 1. Military activity War as Social Problem (cont.) 2. A high tension level of public opinion As war approaches, public opinion about the enemy becomes more hostile and tends to follow a progressive pattern: Successive Levels of Public Hostility a. Normal relations – a low level of hostility in which complaints may occur if someone is injured or if the opposing state has not lived up to an obligation. b. Disapproval – official statements of disapproval of the policies or behaviours of another state. c. Discrimination – economic sanctions such as trade embargoes, tariffs, and boycotts. d. Threats of violence – displays of force, public threats, displays of force. e. Symbolic attack – press, politicians, sermons, popular media associate the enemy with evil. War as a Social Problem (cont.) 3. Abnormal Law Contact with enemy groups is suspended, resident aliens are put under surveillance or interned, protestors are arrested, business and treaties are suspended. Categories of Conflict Under Internation al Law Civil War Imperial War International War Insurrection Colonial Revolt Aggression Mob Violence Native Unrest Intervention War as a Social Problem (cont.) 4. Intense Political Integration Internal conflicts are put aside, censorship comes into effect, regulation of media sources, loyalty to the state becomes more important than loyalty to religion, ethnic group, political party, etc. Defining War from a Sociological Perspective The historian Quincy Wright (1965. A Study of War) defines war in this way: ”A state of war, then, is a condition of intensification of military activity, psychological tension, legal power, and social integration that enables a group to carry on armed conflict with one or more hostile groups.” This definition encompasses many types of conflicts and gives us some direction in what we should be researching as sociologists who are interested in war and society . However, we also need a definition that speaks to the violence of war. Defining War from a Sociological Perspective (cont.) The anthropologist Douglas Fry defines war as a violent activity, addressing some of the shortcomings of earlier definitions: “A group activity, carried on by members of one community against members of another community, in which the primary purpose is to inflict serious injury or death on multiple nonspecified members of that other community, or in which the primary purpose makes it highly likely that serious injury or death will be inflicted on multiple non-specified members of that community in the accomplishment of that primary purpose.” What do these definitions allow us to do that earlier definitions do not? What critiques can we raise about these definitions? Viktor Yanukovych Vladimir Putin “Unidentified” soldiers in Crimea Russian “humanitarian” convoy Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 • Use of unmarked troops • Information war Hybrid War • Cyber war • Economic and financial pressure