Full Description
For over 12,000 years human beings have warred, slaughtering each other with persistence and brutality. From spear point to thermonuclear ordnance, human ingenuity has had a serious downside. In the 20th century alone, wars claimed more than 90 million lives. Yet war's origins, meaning, and evolution over the millennium remain to this day a mystery. Why is warfare "almost" as old as man himself? How is it that a creature capable of producing great art, architecture, literature, medicine, and wondrous acts of compassion is simultaneously capable of such cruel and wanton slaughter? To answer these and other questions, this thoughtful study journeys across time and disciplines to examine and sensibly explain human warfare, clarify its source and driving energy, and thoughtfully develop the prospect of a true and lasting peace.
Contents
Table of Contents
Preface
Prologue
One. Some Proposals on the Origin of War
Two. The Developmental Path
Three. Civilization's Dawn
Four. Civilization, Eden and the Romantic Blunder
Five. The Psychology of War
Six. The Archetype, the Ego and the Genesis of War
Seven. Alexander and the Warrior Archetype
Eight. A New Way Emerges
Nine. Revolution
Ten. A Violent Clash of Levels
Eleven. Documents of Change
Twelve. A War to End All Wars
Thirteen. The Great War, Act II
Fourteen. Cold War Conflict
Fifteen. The Evolution of War
Sixteen. The Future's Promise
Seventeen. Understanding Weapons
Eighteen. Peace
Chapter Notes
Bibliography
Index
