Peace and conflict official study guide

1.     ”Justice is only a question between equals in strength. The strong do what they can, and the weak suffer what they must.” Agree or disagree (in the modern context.)

Agree:

strong have more power, more powerful countries win wars more often.

Disagree: smaller/weaker countries can outlast bigger/more powerful ones (ex: russia ukraine, usa iran)

2.     Do the Athenians care about long-term reputation, or only immediate security?

self interest, reputation (need to crush weaker empire)

1.     Contrast positive peace with negative peace.

Positive Peace

lots of desireable states in society

Negative Peace

absence of war

2.     What is structural violence?  Give an example.

denying people important rights

forcibly stutns develppment and undermines their well being

example: limits access to health care, food, shelter, education, and safe environments, often leading to preventable illness, poverty, or early death

3.     In class, we discussed the Rwandan civil war as an example of cultural violence.  How does it fit that idea? How is cultural violence contested?

Cultural Violence

Culture is used to legitimize violence in direct or structural forms

ex: Rwanda (manufactured cultural difference that became real)

Cultural violence is contested because the line between what counts as "culture" versus "violence" is subjective, politically charged, and debated across different social and academic frameworks

4.     When looking at “peace adjacent” words such as appeasement and pacification, why do these words carry different connotations to “peace”?

Appeasement

giving someone what they want so they dont atttack you

pacified

forced/made to be peaceful

While appeasement and pacification both share a Latin root (pacem, meaning "peace"), they carry very different political and psychological connotations because of how that quiet is achieved and who holds the power in the interaction

5.     Is war always a bad thing?

no, can be force for positive peace

many different justifications for war

How is war honorable?

fighting for your country/people

fighting for your family

Philisophical justification

kant - peace would create corruption

war keeps powers on their toes or destroys them

Social Justice Justification for War

fight for social justice when it feels it is kept away by governments

6.     Are the great monotheistic traditions “peaceful”?

hebrew word for peace is also translated as wholenesss, competeness, balance

Christianity: Jesus wanted you to be [eaceful and nonviolent (created most warlike nations)

Islam: word derived from peace (slm)

jihad = struggle

lesser jihad = war

greater jihad = internal struggle for nonviolence

intrisnic violence in all three

7.     Do people have different definitions of positive peace?  How does this lead to conflict?

war on woke both sides see peace in opposite

people understand it differently so they get into conflict trying to establish opposing ideas

1.     The etymology of the word “war” means confusion or disorder.  Has the meaning changed over time?  How so?

From General Disorder to Organized Conflict: The root meaning originally described a state of general confusion, turmoil, or domestic discord. As it passed through Germanic languages (werz-a-, werra) and Old North French (werre) into late Old English (wyrre), the definition narrowed from "chaos/confusion" to the physical and social chaos of armed clashes, and eventually to large-scale military conflict between states or nations.

2.     Psychologists and Economists have different views of what is war.  How do they differ? How do they view the impact on society?

Psychological definition of war

hostile attitudes between groups

Economic definition of war

diversion of major resources from civillian to military

one focuses on the mind, group identity, and emotional or behavioral shifts, while the other focuses on resource allocation, costs, and market destruction.

3.     Political scientists mostly refer to Karl von Clausewitz who wrote war was “an act of violence intended to compel our opponents to fulfill our will”.  Agree or disagree.

Political science definition of war

act of violence intended to compell opponents to do you rwill

politics but violence

Agree: ADDD

Disagree: only if you are fighting against an opponent andnot an idea

4.     The result of the war between Lagash and Umma is considered the first recorded time that human damage and degradation of the environment occurred.  How did this happen?

umma cut off water to lagash

lagash gets water from canal to tigris

eventually win the war and have 2x water

poured too much water on their land

befcame less productive because of salinization

water evaporates leaving salt buildup

first lagash grows weat (cant grow in salt)

then grow barley (can grow in salt)

people leave mesopotamia (bc of environmental degredation)

5.     What is “Total War”?  Why did it increase in the 20^th century?

Total War

increasein destructiveness of weapons

decrease in selectivity of targets

nothing is off limits in delcared war

6.     What is the difference between paleo-conservatives and neo-conservatives on war?

Paleo-conservatives (Paleocons):

• Advocate for strict isolationism or non-interventionism and oppose overseas military entanglements.

• Root their approach in the pre-World War II "Old Right," emphasizing national sovereignty, non-intervention, and national self-determination rather than global policing.

Neo - conservatives

topple regines that are not nie to the us and put in democracy (when the countries have resources that the US wants)

7.     Marx, Lenin, and Mao all advocated for “selective” war.  What did they mean?

Selective war

War only to get political goals

communist ideas with leftist ideals

1.     In Lao Tzu’s teachings, what is the importance of meditation and harmony?

How is meditation crucial for harmoizing with tao of universe?

cultivating stillness, observin gthe mind, alloweing one to flow with life’s changes

enanches physical and mental qwll bieng

reduces stress, improving clarity, promoting free flow of qi

2.     Sun Tzu has six key points on war – be able to discuss them.

strategy: success depends on understanding the situation rather than simply using more force

knowledge: understanding oneself and one's opponents is essential

deception and surprise: strategic advantage can come from making conflict, unnecessary or preventing opponent from acting effectively

flexibility: Strategies should change according to circumstances,

avoiding unnecessary conflict: military victory is not necessarily the same as destroying the opponent

preparation. Careful planning can reduce the need for prolong fighting.

3.     How can The Art of War be used in your own life?

breakdown of things into smaller tasks

build a strong foundation of skills, savings, and mental resilience

adapt quickly to unexpected changes or setbacks instead of resisting circumstances outside your control

4.     What are the similarities and differences between Lao Tzu and Sun Tzu’s philosophies on peace and conflict?

Similarities: 

Both value understanding the situation

Both questions, the usefulness of unnecessary force

Both recognize the importance of flexibility

Both suggested effective leadership requires restraint

Both are interested in achieving goals without unnecessary destruction

Winning does not equal defeating opponent can have power without force

Both interested in how you deal with difficult situations

Similarities and differences between sun and Lao on preparing for peace

Sun: countries need to prepare for peace during war

Lao: peace starts from the inside out. Need peace in heart to have peace in the world keep capitol Happy keep nation happy

Similarities and differences between sun and Lao on contentment

Sun: can't be content if you've been broken

Lao: be content with what you have