Notes from Essays in "Conflict After the Cold War"

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