Peace, War and the Heuristics of Fear

In: Millennium: journal of international studies, Band 36, Heft 3, S. 425-437

Abstract

Argues that war demands rules & it is possible to be ruthless & still observe them. Military history has proven that those who exercise restraint, proportionality, discrimination, & legitimacy have an advantage over those who don't. Augustine believed that the limiting principal in war is what makes peace possible & is the reason for ethical codes on the battlefield. It is maintained that it is possible to fight morally for a better kind of peace even if war remains entrenched in the international system for some time to come. Other matters discussed include how the post-modern condition is defined by risks, insecurities, & control problems; the impact of the heritage of classical Greece & Rome on today's situation; the fear that is programmed into the War on Terror; the reemergence of religion in the discourse of international politics which holds the promise of a more pluralistic dialogue but has also given rise to fundamentalist violence; & the importance of never justifying inhumane acts. J. Lindroth