On the Causes of War (third edition)
2007
Title
On the Causes of War (third edition)
Authors
Published Date
2007
Publisher
Ground Zero Minnesota
Type
Book
Scholarly Text or Essay
Scholarly Text or Essay
Abstract
On the Causes of War is a book that covers over 40 causes of wars that recur in history often enough that the author thought they should be considered. It won the National Peace Writing Award for 1999 (the first edition) for reasons that will be described by a couple of blurbs from colleagues on the back cover. In lieu of a real abstract, I will put the Table of Contents here.
Table of Contents On the Causes of War
page Ch# Chapter Title by Michael Andregg
ii. Dedication
iii. Acknowledgements
iv. List of Figures and Tables
v. Introduction
1. Part I - Background
2. 1. The Essence of War and Peace
4. 2. Interviews With People Who Have Studied War and Peace
6. 3. Brief Review of Relevant Literature
9. 4. Relationships Between Genocide and War
11. 5. Review of Wars, Genocides and Flashpoints, 1990 - 1995
22. 6. Causation is Complex: Ultimate versus Proximate Causes, and Triggering Events
26. 7. Human Nature, Nurture, Free Will and War
30. 8. Two Models: Earthquake, and Three Green Lights
37. 9. If Present Trends Continue, the Probability of General War Will Peak Between
1997 and 2002, and How Such Estimates May Be Obtained
46. Part II - Select Causes: How They Work, and How to Solve Them
47. 10. Competition for Resources, and Inequalities of Wealth Within and Between Nations
52. 11. Competition for Power: International and Domestic Politics
62. 12. Population Pressure
74. 13. Authoritarian Law and Militant Religion
84. 14. Corruption of Governance
95. 15. Legalism
102. 16. Justice, Injustice, and Lack of Effective International Conflict Resolution Systems
110. 17. Nationalism and Militarism
116. 18. Forces of Evil
126. 19. Spies, Cults and Secret Power Systems
145. 20. Weapons Companies, Military Bureaucracy, Propaganda and Warmongers
153. 21. In vs. Out Groups: The Universal Double Standard of Justice
156. 22. Ethnicity, Nepotism and Racism
163. 23. Historical Grievances, Scapegoating, Demagoguery and “Parallel Realities”
167. 24. Revenge
172. 25. The Desire to Dominate, and Hubris
175. 26. The Desire for Adventure, Honor and Enemies, or Why Many Men Love War
181. 27. Greed, Hatred, Repression, Compulsion, Paranoia and Lesser Psychological Factors
188. 28. Balances of Power, and Equilibria
197. 29. The War on “Drugs” as a Model of Police-State Wars
206. Part III - How To Overcome War, and Survive
208. 30. Governance Without Governments
212. 31. Spirituality Without Churches
216. 32. Being A Warrior in the Third Millennium
223. 33. The Feminist Revolt and Masculinity
232. 34. The Biology of Survival: Economic and Political Consequences
238. 35. Freedom is Required; Justice is Desired
243. 36. The Body as a Metaphor for Social Organization
247. Appendix A: A version of the Prisoner’s Dilemma Exercise useful for teachers
250. Appendix B: Tables 1, 2, 3, and notes to each.
263. References
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Description
"On the Causes of War" won the 1999 National Peace Writing Award administered by the English Department of the University of Arkansas, Fayetteville for reasons described by three blurb testimonials below.
-- "The outstanding work on Peace in North America in 1999." James (Dick) Bennett, Professor Emeritus of Literature, University of Arkansas, past president of the College English Teachers Association, and Director of the National Peace Writing Award Foundation.
-- "On the Causes of War" is a remarkable book, offering a wide-ranging, balanced and comprehensive examination of an enormously complex topic. Although specific historical examples are cited, this is not another history of warfare. Rather, it discusses the fundamental reasons why humans throughout history, in all cultures, have waged war with one another. Classic works in the literature of war by Sun Tzu, Thucydides, von Clausewitz, and others are reviewed along with the theories of more recent authors. Also presented were findings from interviews with over 70 people who know war well: scholars who have studied war and peace, senior diplomats, high ranking professional soldiers, and prominent peace activists. Their diverse views provide a framework for the author's own thoughtful analysis and conclusions about principal causes -- each of which warrents a complete chapter. Clearly the author gives us much food for thought. His arguments about the abyss of modern warfare -- and what we must do to avoid it -- are compelling.
-- Jack Johnson, Ph.D., Major (ret.) U.S. Army, military historian and curator, Minnesota Military Museum.
-- "Michael Andregg's superb book "On the Causes of War" deals with many topics vital to his subject that other authors fail or are afraid to treat, and it does so clearly and directly. He deals with the real world of power, both open and covert, not just with an ideal world of theory." -- Fr. David Smith, Professor of Theology and Director of the Justice and Peace Studies program at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.
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