The End of Humanities Core: War
Pablo Picasso's Guernica Oil Painting 1937
Going into the course, I was very much a pacifist. To me, war was unnecessary violence that was the result of our innate fault of fear and its manifestations. I still believe that the faults of humanity can be traced back down to fear. In example, fear of inferiority has been the motive behind many wars; princes strive to acquire more power, and force is the means to an end (Machiavelli’s The Prince). Fear of shame drove the Ancient Greek culture into what is recorded as the Trojan War, where the battle extends to man versus god (Homer’s The Iliad). Fear of the unknown and differences have labeled and segregated groups of people, leading to violence and injustice.
By the end of this course, I only have further frustrations in our shortcomings, but have gained an understanding that reluctantly leads to acceptance. I say reluctantly because the acceptance that I arrive at can easily turn into ignorance. Needless to say, I would choose peace over war. The world is not a utopia. I am thankful for this because we have cultures, traditions, intellectual differences, advancements, and constantly blooming leaders. It’s easy to say that one wants peace because war is wrong. While I was always aware of history, circumstance, and perspective as major factors of right and wrong, I have found that the lines of war are not straight or clear.
Overarching philosophical pieces such as Walzer's Just and Unjust Wars, breaks it down to “jus ad bellum” and “jus in bello,” (or “just of war” and “just in war”), challenging the reasons and conduct of war. I think often, when war is debated, only one or the other is put into consideration--if ethics is considered at all that is. With the deindividuation and collectivism, that has turned war into a theater or institution, the loss and sacrifice is often excused. War is not just fought with swords, guns, and bombs. War is fought with humans. Humans with ideologies. Humans with families. Humans with fear. Men and women have their lives poisoned by war’s intrusive touch. The cause is often difficult to embrace, in the face of destroying individuals.
In the beginning of the course when I was brainstorming the creation of my blog, I had tried to think about what the definition of war was to me. I have yet to change the original message that I have greeting my blog visitors, as it reminds me of the changes in my thinking and beliefs. I identify with the character Private Joker from Kubrick’s Full Metal Jacket, as he is conflicted with the concept of achieving peace by killing other humans--in another country for that matter. Joker ultimately pulled the trigger, ending the sniper’s life, but the ending is ambiguous nonetheless. I asked myself what it would mean for me, if put into Joker’s situation. Though it was an act of compassion, arguably, the trigger was still pulled. In the heat of war, there is no rescuing the enemy, even though she is a human bleeding out in front of me. Realistically I would have to pull the trigger on many after her as well. I find that finding the balance between keeping my individual ethics and morals with the collective mindset needed in order to enter a war with a just cause.
Ultimately, at the end of the Humanities Core War course, I have found an acceptance in the faults of being human, the inevitability of war and conflict, the stark contrast between lives of those in America and those in third world countries, and the existing differences between ideologies will always create differences between peoples. It feels extremely defeating to accept such a fate. However, I think of the fate not as fate, but as contingency. I believe that life is made up luck and choices. In a sense, before the suggestion of devious methods to manipulate a principality, I agree with Machiavelli’s proposed conceptions of fortune and virtue. The choice is made in individuals how to proceed with the hand that they have been dealt--often by other individuals. Often wrong choices are made, that lead to horrors such as genocide and terrorism. But I do genuinely believe that conflict and war are inevitable, as we are constantly fighting for our ideologies and beliefs. In that sense, we do have agency (on some level). That, to me, is much better than a global society of mindlessness and “perfection.” I am thankful the diversity of the world and its peoples. We continue to fight to preserve and persevere.
