BONUS LINK: My entire (so far) grad school notes collection can be found here.
Notes from Conflict After the Cold War
Thucydides, The Melian Dialogue (from History
of the Peloponnesian War)
p. 56-60
*One of Melians
fundamental mistakes was not bringing the situation before the people but
instead keeping the decision making and information to the elite.
- Melians at the beginning:
As we see you com to judges in your own
cause, and that all we can reasonably expect from this negotiation is war, if
we prove to have right on our side and refuse to submit, and in the contrary
case, slavery.
- Athenian response:
Right is only in question between equals in
power, while the strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must
Your friendship (that they tried to
offer) will be an argument to our subjects of our weakness and your enmity of
our power.
*In this dialogue you have a decided realist argument
proffered by the Athenians.
- Other potential lessons:
Melians:
difference between idealism and misperception/wishful thinking
Athenians:
drivers of wider interests (Sparta), difference in ethics of power, fidelity of
allies
- NATO Parallels?
NATO goes beyond a mere alliance of interests though
MACHIAVELLI, DOING EVIL IN ORDER TO DO GOOD (FROM THE PRINCE) P. 61-65
Of the things for
which men, and especially princes, are praised and blamed:
- profession of
goodness requires close contact with those who aren’t good
- he should be
prudent enough to avoid the scandal of myriad vices—the exception being those
that give greater security
Of cruelty and
clemency, and whether it is better to be loved or feared:
- better to be
cruel to a few than to allow disorder to arise where widespread bloodshed is
required
- new states are
always full of dangers
- better to be feared than loved….love is a chain of
obligation broken whenever needed, whereas fear is a dread of punishment that
NEVER fails
- abstain from interfering with citizens’ property over
death
- with an army though, a prince must not mind being
cruel—otherwise he won’t be able to keep his army united and orderly
- men love at their own free will but fear at the will of
the prince…so a prince must rely on what
is in his power, not the power of others
**Prince has an ethical requirement to uphold the interest and security
of the state
In What Way Princes
Must Keep Faith:
- must know howå
to use both beast and man—they are interconnected
- also must be the fox and the lion
- most important for a prince to appear to be merciful,
faithful, humane, sincere and religious, than to actually be both***this
could actually also be a critique of his time.
- don’t deviate from what is good, but be able to do evil
when in a corner
- the ends
justify the means!
MACHIAVELLI, MONEY IS NOT THE SINEWS OF WAR (FROM
DISCOURSE)
P. 268-270
- everyone can start a war at their pleasure, but can’t so
finish it
- money is nothing without a devoted army—in fact it makes a
prince more likely to be plundered
- war is made with
iron, not gold
- sinews of war are good soldiers not gold—money is
necessary but also secondary
- 3 keys to success in war:
plenty of good troops, sagacious commanders and good fortune
HOBBES, THE STATE OF NATURE AND THE STATE OF WAR
(LEVIATHAN)
P. 66-69
Of the Natural
Condition of Mankind as Concerning Felicity and Misery:
- State of nature is awful
- men by nature are physically equal—necessity creates
rivalry
- from equality proceeds difference—mutual desire creates
enemies of the desirers
- from diffidence war—naturally seek to extract greater
value than others (security dilemma)
- 3 principle causes of quarrel:
competition-
gain, violence
diffidence-
safety, family, property
glory-
reputation
- we are always at war and must protect ourselves from one
another (war is not actual fighting but the threat of fighting)
- in such a war, nothing is unjust—where no law, no justice
- what brings about peace:
fear of death, desire of things for commodious living and a hope to
obtain those things.
Of Other Laws of
Nature:
- the third law of nature—justice
- men perform their convenant made—without a covenant there
is no justice
- constituation and
governments bring about rights
***Divine right is breaking down, so what is the basis for the
authority of the state (on a secular basis)
- Solution requires a “Leviathan”—an all powerful authority
to which everyone submits
***Genesis of realist thinking—foundational source of notion of anarchy
as we understand today
KANT, PERPETUAL PEACE
P. 122-128
Containing the
definitive articles for perpetual peace among states
- Natural state is one of war—state of peace must be
established
First Definitive
article of Perpetual Peace
- Civil constitution must republican
- War less likely is citizens must sign off on it
Second Definitive
article for Perpetual Peace
- Idea of League of Nations
- War doesn’t decided what’s right
- requirement to give up lawless freedom and sign the social
contract
First Supplement: of
the Guarantee for Perpetual Peace
***Constitutive pre-
requisites of peace
- mainly a philosopher, liberal (but more realist than most
of the other liberals)
- believes in state of nature, threat of war like Hobbes
- Domestic solution = republics (war less likely if citizens
must sign off on it)
- International solution – federation of free states
International
law is insufficient
Only
republics can join
State among
state not needed or logical
- suggests that people aren’t intrinsically good but that’s
not required for a republic (only requires that they be reasonable)
- anticipation of liberal/democratic peace
ANGELL, THE GREAT ILLUSION
P. 271-272
***Obsolescence of
war
- wars won’t be fought anymore
- military power is socially and economically futile
- wealth accrues by commerce, not conquest
- in retrospect: fool or prophet? WWI did break out but at a tremendous cost
LENIN, IMPERIALISM, THE HIGHEST STAGE OF CAPITALISM
P. 281-287
Imperialism as
endemic
SCHUMPETER, IMPERIALISM AND CAPITALISM
P. 288-296
- Capitalism is a source of peace and relies on open commerce
- Imperialism is atavistic and would be solved by more
capitalism
- Sources of war are nationalism and militarism
- Solution is ‘responsible statemen” in charge
MEAD, WARFARE IS ONLY AN INVENTION—NOT A
BIOLOGICAL NECESSITY
P. 219-223
- Warfare is an invention
- Evidence: many societies don’t have war
- War persists due to lack of a better alternative
