Political Science 79 Seminar on War and Peace Amherst College Fall 2007
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Political Science 79Seminar on War and Peace Amherst College Fall 2007Ronald Tiersky SYLLABUS War in international relations is the ultima ratio, the last resort, the ultimate means that States can use to achieve their goals. War is foreign policy by military action rather than diplomacy and negotiation. In international law, the decision to go to war has been traditionally defined as a sole legitimate right of States. But in our time wars between states are extremely rare. Civil wars and other internal violence within states, up to and including genocide, make up the vast majority of military conflicts. What is the significance of this in the evolution of war and the pursuit of peace? Peace is harder to define than war. Peace is intrinsically related to war but the relationship between war and peace is not always clear. Peace can be defined as the total absence of war, or, perhaps more realistically, only the maximum achievable limitation of war and its damage. In any case, peace and war need to be understood both separately and together, and the conclusions are not nearly as simple as we might presuppose. Another relevant question is whether peace, however desirable in itself, represents the ultimate value in social and political life. For example, is peace more important than national independence? Is it more important than freedom? This seminar begins and ends with a conceptual and moral point of view—war, peace and the liberal conscience. It is not a history of war, and it is not a policy study of how to deal with world crises today. WORKLOAD: As a regular course, the workload is two papers, 8-10 pages each. As an advanced seminar for a political science major, the workload is a 5 page plan at midterm for a 25 page seminar paper due at the end of the term. Political science majors and seniors have preference in enrolment. BOOKS TO PURCHASE (Jeffrey Amherst Bookstore): Kenneth Waltz, MAN, THE STATE AND WAR, Michael Walzer, JUST AND UNJUST WARS (new 4th ed.); Michael Ignatieff, THE LESSER EVIL, plus a MULTILITH available in the Political Science office. Readings are in the multilith unless marked (P). SOME EXAMPLES OF ADVANCED SEMINAR PAPER TOPICS I. Realities of War a. The pity of war A. Is there nobility in War? C. War as a Means of Conflict Resolution D. War as a Perpetual Scourge of Humanity
A. War as Fate, War as Destiny B. War and The State of Nature C. War and Human Nature D. War as Necessity, War as a Mere Historical Invention E. War as a Continuation of Policy by Other Means F. War's Evolution Today: Technology and “Virtual War,” Terrorist War and the War on Terrorism, Asymmetrical War G. Weapons of Mass Destruction and War H. Civil Wars vs. International Wars I. Just War doctrine
B. Peace as the Minimization of War
C. Peace as the Abolition of WarD. Peace and other Moral Values Such as Justice or Freedom E. The Theory of the “Democratic Peace” F. Peace and International Institutions: Peacekeeping, Peacemaking, the "Right to Intervene," the "Duty to Protect," and National Sovereignty IV. Practical Approaches, or How do you get peace?
V. The Significance of the Modern Idea of “Prisoners of War” SYLLABUS PART ONE: REALITIES OF WAR 1. Introduction 2. War in Ancient Times: The Trojan War Film in class: Euripides, "The Trojan Women" (those who need quick background can read "The Trojan War," Wikipedia) 3. Discussion of the Trojan War: The Pity of War Euripides, "The Trojan Women" Simone Weil, "The Illiad, A Poem of Force"
John Keegan, THE MASK OF COMMAND, ch..1, "Alexander the Great" 5. The Experience of Soldiers Film evening: “The Long Engagement” 6. The Experience of Soldiers J. Glenn Gray, THE WARRIORS, chs. 2,4,6 7. The Causes of War (1) Thucydides, THE PELOPONNESIAN WAR,"The Melian Conference," E.O. Wilson, ON HUMAN NATURE, pp. 99-120 (M) Robert M. Sapolsky, “A Natural History of Peace” Margaret Mead, "War is only an Invention…"
Sun Tsu, THE ART OF WAR 11. The Significance of Nuclear Weapons (1) Charles de Gaulle, MEMOIRS OF HOPE, "The World" Jean Lacouture, DE GAULLE, THE RULER, The Nuclear “I” 12. Nuclear Weapons and Strategic Alliances (2) Josef Joffe, "NATO and Nuclear Weapons: No End of a Lesson" Michael Walzer, JUST AND UNJUST WARS, 269-86 MIDTERM COURSE WORK DUE
Ralph Waldo Emerson, "War" Michael Walzer, JUST AND UNJUST WARS, pp. 329-335
Immanuel Kant, PERPETUAL PEACE, pp. 107-43Non-violence, war and peace (1) 16. “The Democratic Peace” Today Woodrow Wilson, two speeches, (M) George W. Bush, "State of the Union Address, 2002" Michael E. Brown et al., DEBATING THE DEMOCRATIC PEACE, Part I: “The Case for the Democratic Peace” (except the first Russett chapter), and Part III: “Point and Counterpoint” (Buy New or Used, or read on Reserve)
Michael Walzer, JUST AND UNJUST WARS, 4th ed., two Prefaces and chs. 1-6, 8-9 (P) 18. “Just War” Principles (2)
Read: “The Nazi Holocaust, 1938-45: 6,000,000 Deaths” and “Trial of Adolph Eichmann”, excerpts
Journal of Peace Research 2004, 41: 625-636 (M) Articles: "Genocide," "War Crimes," "Crime Against Humanity," "Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court," "The Responsibility to Protect" Samantha Power, A PROBLEM FROM HELL, Preface, chs. 8, 10, Conclusion 23. Weapons of the Strong
James Adams, "Virtual Defense," Jack Hitt, "Battlefield Space"
Int. Center for the Study of Terrorism, “What is Terrorism?” Anthony Cordesman, TERRORISM, ASYMMETRIC WARFARE…pp. 1-10 Economist magazine, “A World Wide Web of Terror,” July 14, 2007 Ignatieff, ch. 4, "The Strength of the Weak" Michael Walzer, "Terrorism: A Critique of Excuses," and "After 9/11: Five Questions about Terrorism " Joseph Cirincione, BOMB SCARE, chs. 5, 7, 8, Glossary
David Luban, “The Defense of Torture” Anthony Lewis, “Making Torture Legal” Mark Bowden, "The Dark Art of Interrogation" Michael Ignatieff, THE LESSER EVIL, chs. 1, 2, 6 (P)
only pp. 215-221 George B. Davis, "The Prisoner of War" (1913)
Michael Howard, “Temperamenta Belli: Can War Be Controlled?” Final papers and seminar essays due. |