PHILOSOPHY OF WAR FROM DIFFERENT TIMES IN HISTORY Valentina Tenedini Istituto Regina M. Adelaide A cross-curricular activity on the theme of war
• Covenants without the swords are but words. (Thomas Hobbes 1588-1679)
• War has the higher significance that through it the moral health of people is preserved. (Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel)
• War is ugly… but not the ugliest of things. The … feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. (John Stuart Mill 1806-1873)
• Force is justifiable when it is ordered‌ by a neutral authority; in the general interest and not primarily in the interest of one of the parties to the quarrel. (Bertrand Russel 1872-1970)
• When the rich wage war it is the poor who will die. (Jean Paul Sartre 1905-80)
• War is a series of catastrophes which result in Victory. (George Clemenceau)
• I hate war as only a soldier who has lived it can, only as one who has seen its brutality, its futility, its stupidity. (Dwight D. Eisenhower)
• Nothing in life is as exhilarating as to be shot as without a result (Winston Churchill)
• It is easier to lead men to combat, stirring up their passion, than to restrain them and direct them toward the patient labour of peace. (Andrè Gide)
• It is an unfortunate fact that we can secure peace only by preparing for war. (J. F. Kennedy)
• Peace is more precious than a peace of land. (Anwar Sadat)
• No bastard ever won a war dying for his country. You win a war by making the other dumb bastard die for his country. (General George Patton)
• Mankind must put an end to war or war will put an end to mankind. (J. F. Kennedy)
• There never was a good war or a bad peace. (Benjamin Franklin)
PHILOSOPHY OF WAR FROM DIFFERENT TIMES IN HISTORY • • • •
Simplify the idea expressed by each of the quotations Say who do you agree with or disagree the most Say how the attitude to war has changed over time See if you can relate any of these statements to wars in the world Today