The concept of war is a complex one, and the reasons behind it are even more ambiguous. For centuries, the human race has been going to war where governments fell, and others grew in their place. There are various reasons why war takes place or rather why it is deemed necessary by other parties; among them is for economic gain, territorial gain, or for revenge. However, some can be for defense or revolutionary purposes, while others are based on religion or civil disputes. Despite these reasons, in most cases, most wars occur as a result of a combination of various causes that often surround issues of struggle over resources, clashing ideologies, and the struggle for power.
An interesting concept in war is Just War, which carries the notion that war can be justified under certain series of moral standards which must all be met. This criterion includes two categories: the right to go to war ( jus as Bellum ), which speaks of the morality and the right conduct in war ( jus in bello ), which speaks of the conduct. The Just War theory is a Christian philosophy that aims to push the principles that it is wrong to take a human life, governments have a duty to protect its citizens, and protecting citizens may at times require the willingness to use force and Violence. According to this theory, war is not always the worst option, and in some instances; certain responsibilities and outcomes justify the occurrence of war.
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With this perspective in mind, some wars (if aimed at protecting the citizens of a country and its interests) are justifiable. This then brings to question, is war a product of nature or nurture? The best answer to this is that neither of them matter. The thing that matters is the consequences and the justification for it. A majority of people can vote for war is inherent in human nature. However, the concept of war has changed over the years that it is no longer the first option of conflict resolution between states and people – unless deemed necessary. The world is slowly shifting from the notion of 'survival for the fittest' based on strength or healthiest, but to those who are adapting in their environment. In addition to this, factor such as the changing economic structure and developing technology has, consequently, redefined warfare. Modern warfare is now defined by military complex and highly advanced technology that came into play during World Wars I and II and had been advancing ever since. Warfare is now more tactical, strategic, and operational.
Wars have now evolved from gun battles in large fields and air attacks to chemical and biological warfare, nuclear bombs, electronic warfare, and intelligence warfare such as propaganda among others. Evidence by archaeologists over time shows that there are declining rates of Violence not only in wars but in homicides as well, citing that past societies were extremely violent (Roser, 2019) . According to Roser, a contributor to this could be the rising levels of literacy among people in the world. In my opinion, this analysis is true. Receding Violence is directly attributed to increasing literacy levels; perhaps, through education, people are aware of better alternatives to conflicts and some of their causes such as the lack of resources.
In addition to literacy levels, countries are now controlled by a centralized government, which in most countries are elected by the citizens. In his work, The Better Angels of Our Nature: Why Violence has Declined, Harvard College Professor Stevin Pinker says that the symbol of a centralized state is crucial in warding off conflict and wars (Pinker, 2011) within countries as well as with other countries. He further says that “today we may be living in the most peaceable era in our species’ existence." It should, however, be noted that because there is a centralized government, the civilians now do not have much say in war matters as this function is controlled by the government who make all the decisions including if they will engage in war or not. In modern warfare, the civilian has become irrelevant, especially in international or across border wars. Even in civil wars, the government still play a big role in either propelling it or bringing it to a stop. However, Violence and war have not been completely eliminated in the world, but it has drastically reduced over time – a factor that is not guaranteed and could change in the future.
Despite the declining rate of Violence and war, countries still invest immensely in war by allocating heavy funding off their budgets to their military. Heavy funding is also allocated to science and technology research projects that are primarily focused on war such as chemical, biological, and nuclear warfare with a large number of scientists being involved in military projects. Other contributing factors include economic factors such as the fight for resources as well as religious factors which are being observed in countries such as Nigeria with Boko Haram.
Conclusion
It is highly unlikely that the world will someday be a war-free zone as conflicts are always bound to occur, and the result of these conflicts could be the occurrence of war, justified or not. However, a good observation over the years is that wars have not only rapidly reduced, but have also become less violent. There is a changing shift of warfare across the world due to developing technology and the setting up of centralized systems. Despite the calamities and loses that come with war, there are some wars that are deemed necessary or just. These wars focus on reducing the number of people who will lose their lives as well as protecting the survival of their people or citizens. However, if there is any chance of avoiding war, that is the best way to go.
References
Pinker, S. (2011, September 27). A History of Violence: Edge Master Class 2011 . Retrieved June 13, 2019, from Edge: https://www.edge.org/conversation/mc2011-history-violence-pinker
Roser, M. C., (2019). The Visual History of Decreasing War and Violence . Retrieved June 13, 2019, from Our World in Data: www.OurWorldInData.org
