Peace: An Idea Whose Time Has ComeIn Peace: An Idea Whose Time Has Come, noted mathematician and peace researcher Anatol Rapoport explores the evolution of the idea of peace and explains why it is displacing war as a viable institution. Professor Rapoport ventures into uncharted philosophical territory by drawing on both the natural and the social sciences to trace the development of the ideas of war and peace. He argues that the theory of evolution and processes analogous to natural selection can explain not only biological events, but also the development of the institution of war. Thus the clashes of armed hordes at the dawn of history were the "ancestors" of our present battles using automated weapons, while Isaiah's prophecy of total disarmament--"And they shall beat their swords into ploughshares"--anticipates the resolutions of the United Nations. Rapoport explains that although the institution of war enjoys a long history and continues to be a policy option today, it may soon fall into disuse, either by losing its relevance to modern life or by destroying the civilizations that practice it. He then calls attention to ideas that lie dormant until people's "ideational environment" becomes receptive to their germination: peace, Anatol Rapoport believes, is one such idea. Peace continues in the interdisciplinary tradition that has taken root in inquiries at the nexus of science and philosophy. No specific technical knowledge is expected of the reader, only a willingness to venture into little-charted areas of thought. |
Contents
A Word to the Reader | 1 |
Dormant Ideas | 43 |
A Generalized Theory | 51 |
The Evolution of Cooperation | 63 |
Two Sides of a Coin | 79 |
The Idea of System | 93 |
Adaptations of the War System to Its Social | 109 |
Conceptions of Peace | 139 |
Transcending the Limitations of International | 169 |
Concluding Remarks | 177 |
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action adaptation aggression altruistic Anatol Rapoport animals became become behavior biological called century changes choice choose cold war collective security concept of peace conflict consequence context coplayer cultural defense defined destruction disarmament enemy energy environment envisaged established Europe evolutionary process evolve example existence fighting function game theory genes genetic glasnost global goal idea identified ideological individual institution integration international cooperation irreversible Korzybski language League of Nations learning means mechanical military missiles natural selection noosphere organism organismic pacifist paradigm parasite payoff peace through strength perestroika play players political realism population Prisoner's Dilemma problem produce progress reality regarded relations reproductive advantage reproductive success result role score selfish selfish gene sense social society sociobiologists sort Soviet Union species strategy struggle superpowers survival system theory theory of evolution Tit-for-Tat tournament United victory violence Warriors wars weapons World War II