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Philosophy and Ideas: Pathways to Peace?

There are different ways of looking at theterrorist attacks on the World Trade Center
state of the world. Accordingly when it comesand the Pentagon. In the classic
to international affairs, leaders proposeidealist-realist debate, neither side
differing foreign policies to make andnormally accords the other much space. In his
preserve peace for their nations. The twonew analysis, however, Kissinger notes that
most common approach of ideas are idealism"in relations between the United States and
and realism, and their offspring,Western Europe and within the Western
neoliberalism and neorealism, are illustratedHemisphere, America's historic ideals have
by two former Harvard professors and leadersconsiderable applicability. Here the idealist
in U.S. government, Henry Kissinger andversion of peace based on democracy and
Robert McNamara. As secretary of defense ineconomic progress demonstrates its
the Kennedy and Johnson administrations,relevance." He also notes that the current
McNamara was in the forefront of America'scomplexity of the international system
involvement in Vietnam. By 1966, however, he"renders much of the traditional American
was beginning to question America's role, anddebate about the nature of international
in his later years he has repudiated thepolitics somewhat irrelevant. Whether it is
support he gave to the war effort, believingvalues or power, ideology or raison d'état
that the disastrous conflict escalatedthat are the key determinants of foreign
largely as the result of misperception onpolicy, in fact depends on the historical
both sides. In other words, in his opinion,stage in which the international system finds
America need not have intervened in the wayitself." THE CENTRAL ISSUE At the root of the
that she did. If he could turn back theidealist-realist debate is a truth that never
clock, he would seek peace on differentgoes away and that neither side ignores--they
terms. He would not make the costlyjust approach it from different perspectives:
commitment to bloodshed that occurred on allHuman nature is the fly in the ointment.
sides. He would find the opening to promote aRealists hold an essentially pessimistic view
moral commitment to end the war quickly.of human nature. Idealists share a belief in
Today McNamara, having been president of theits essential goodness. Henry Kissinger would
World Bank in the interim, is devoted to thesay that's exactly why idealistic notions of
cause of reducing the risk of conflict,peace through morality will fail. You just
killing and catastrophe in the 21st century.can't expect humans, and therefore the
His new book, coauthored with internationalnations they represent, to be anything but
relations professor James Blight, is titledself-interested. The idealist Robert McNamara
Wilson's Ghost in reference to thewould say that without imposing a moral curb
prescriptions for peace of America's Firston human nature we will see more people
World War president. Woodrow Wilson was ankilled in the 21st century than in the
idealist who believed that moral issuesoverwhelmingly violent 20th, when multiple
should dominate in policy making. Essentiallymillions died in war, most of them civilians.
it was the president's efforts at peacemakingSo we must pursue prescriptions for peace
that provided the way out for Germany in abased on the morality of avoiding such
peace without victory. Wilson's subsequentcatastrophic wars. If human nature is the
tireless work aimed at establishing theproblem, how to deal with it is the issue.
League of Nations inspires McNamara andThe history of society's attempts to do so
Blight; in it they see the only way ahead todoes not give much cause for hope. We must
a peaceful future for a planet still livingadmit that no method of taming human nature
in the nuclear shadow. Like Blight, Kissingerhas yet been found. According to one source,
also has a background in political science.in the past 6,000 years humanity has
In the 1960s he was a professor of governmentexperienced only 300 years of global peace.
at Harvard. Best known for his years asAlbert Einstein famously said that it is
Richard Nixon's assistant for Nationaleasier to denature plutonium than to change
Security Affairs and subsequently ashuman nature. Could it be that we are seeking
secretary of state, he was inevitably alsoan answer that cannot come from the human
embroiled in the Vietnam War. At first alevel? Can human nature be curbed from our
hard-liner in the prosecution of the war, heown resources? What exactly is human nature,
went on to win the 1973 Nobel Peace Prizeand what is its origin? THE TRUTH ABOUT US In
along with North Vietnamese negotiator Le Ducreligion and the Bible, a relevant question
Tho (who refused the award) in recognition ofcan be answered from the New Testament: "Do
the cease-fire agreement they reached.you know where your fights and arguments come
Nevertheless, Kissinger is a realist in thefrom?" The answer in the apostle James's
tradition of another U.S. president, Theodorewords: "They come from the selfish desires
Roosevelt (see "Mentors of Modern Men").that war within you. You want things, but you
PRAGMATICS AND PRINCIPLES In their efforts todo not have them. So you are ready to kill
ensure security for all society, realistsand are jealous of other people, but you
pursue policy options based on the ebb andstill cannot get what you want. So you argue
flow of power within the international systemand fight" (James 4:1-2, New Century
of nations. In his new book, Does AmericaVersion). Here human nature is shown to be
Need a Foreign Policy? Kissinger says it'sessentially selfish. Though it is sometimes
vitally important that, as the onlyable to do good for unrelated others, it is
superpower, America decide on its interestsidentified with the protection, preservation
and also on where it should and should notand extension of the self and its immediate
intervene. This is an approach driven byworld. Whatever is needed to accomplish these
pragmatics first and foremost. For Kissinger,ends motivates humans from infancy on. We
it's not so much a question of universalmight say that at birth human beings are in a
moral and ethical principles; it is primarilyneutral condition, demonstrating neither good
a question of taking care of America'snor evil desires. While the newborn feebly
national interests in a world compromised byseeks out food to survive, and has some drive
human nature's inherent pursuit of power.to do so, it is ill-equipped to challenge
Idealism, on the other hand, believes thatanyone for that food or to share it. The
mutual interest creates a natural harmonyaggressive and possessive impulse comes with
between nations. Its proponents support thetime. A growing selfishness develops as we
development of international structures andmature. Through socialization we may learn to
organizations to limit any nation-state'scontrol this selfishness, but it almost
irresponsible quest for power. In neoliberalalways reappears, given certain
fashion, the idealist McNamara adds that thecircumstances. The Western world has had the
world is more interdependent than the oldbenefit of the Judeo-Christian tradition,
European world of independent nation-states.which teaches what human nature is and how it
Modern idealists point to the Internet, thecan be changed. Jesus of Nazareth had this to
mass media, the shared environment, andsay about our basic state of mind: "From
globalized trade and investment as evidencewithin, out of the heart of men, proceed evil
of a different and more integrated world--athoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
world anxious to promote peace by nonmilitarythefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit,
means. The power politician acknowledgeslewdness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride,
these contemporary realities but does notfoolishness. All these evil things come from
believe they are the fundamental keys towithin and defile a man" (Mark 7:21-23). From
peace. For the idealist, on the other hand,this biblical perspective, the achievable
it's not just about national interest andideal is that nations put down their weapons
"power-balancing" between nations. McNamaraof war while at the same time learning new
points to the ability of nations to cooperateways of thinking. This prescription for peace
at times for their mutual benefit. This, heis found in another prophetic passage from
believes, proves that peace can be achievedthe book of Isaiah--words that are carved
without war. Only as a last resort does theinto the base of the familiar statue outside
idealist use force, and even then, in mostthe UN building in New York: "He shall judge
cases, it is by multilateral agreement in thebetween the nations, and rebuke many people;
international sphere. CAUSES FOR CONCERNthey shall beat their swords into plowshares,
McNamara's fears of the future arise from theand their spears into pruning hooks; nation
catastrophic loss of life that occurred inshall not lift up sword against nation,
the century just past. Wilson's Ghost callsneither shall they learn war anymore" (Isaiah
up the specter of the moralist president in2:4). It is a confirmation of the philosophy
the role of prophet. Following the war inand ideas of Woodrow Wilson that the
1919, Wilson said: "Liberalism must be moresuccessor to his League of Nations accepted
liberal than ever before, it must even bethe gift of a statue with the biblical
radical, if civilization is to escape theprescription for peace. It is an ideal that
typhoon. . . . I do not hesitate to say thatrecognizes the realist's fears and puts them
the war we have just been through, though itto rest. TRANSFORM OR CONFORM The only way
was shot through with terror of every kind,through the impasse created by human nature
is not to be compared with the war we wouldis by means of a change of heart. The change
have to face the next time." Wilson's wordsof heart religion and the Bible specifies is
were eerily prescient. The succeeding 1939-45a fundamental transformation of mind and
world conflict and its atomic conclusionattitude set in motion by an outside source.
massively eclipsed the First World War,Previous to his change of heart, the apostle
unfathomable as it was in its carnage. ThePaul was by his own admission "a blasphemer
international wars that followed only servedand a persecutor and a violent man" (1
to demonstrate the apparently uncontrollableTimothy 1:13, New International Version). He
human capacity for technological developmentcame to see that even with religious zeal as
in delivering death. The threat of nuclearhis motivation, he was of the wrong spirit.
holocaust looms large in McNamara'sIt is with the deepest conviction that he
21st-century scenario. Accordingly hewrites, "To be carnally minded is death, but
believes that two imperatives, moral andto be spiritually minded is life and peace"
multilateral, must guide U.S. foreign and(Romans 8:6). That spiritual mind, he says,
defense policy in this century. The moralcomes only from the influence of God at work
imperative requires that the U.S. governmentin humans through His Holy Spirit. It is made
establish as a major goal of foreign policyavailable in part for the conquering of human
"the avoidance in this century of thenature's downward pull. He encourages us: "Be
carnage--160 million dead--caused by conflicttransformed by the renewing of your mind,
in the 20th century." The correspondingthat you may prove what is that good and
multilateral imperative requires that theacceptable and perfect will of God" (Romans
United States recognize that it "must provide12:2). That renewal comes only from the
leadership to achieve the objective ofSpirit of God. Are these philosophy and ideas
reduced carnage but, in doing so, it will notof idealism and realism the pathway to peace?
apply its economic, political, or militaryIn fact, neither is. Peace will become the
power unilaterally, other than in theway of the nations only when Isaiah's
unlikely circumstances of a defense of theprophecy of the cessation of weapons
continental United States, Hawaii, andmanufacture and of war itself comes to pass.
Alaska." Further, he believes that foreignIn the meantime, lasting peace can come
policies across the globe should adopt theindividually from within when the Spirit of
same moral imperative, as is currently theGod is active within.
case in the aftermath of the September 11



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