The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology - Division of Humanities/center for Language Education
By: ericama • October 3, 2017 • Research Paper • 1,438 Words (6 Pages) • 986 Views
The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology: Division of Humanities/Center for Language Education
HUMA 1000: Cultures and Values: Cover sheet for final essay
Full name | MA Wai Yee |
Student ID | 20434738 |
Writing workshop section number | T1L |
Writing workshop instructor | Eugene Li |
Title of essay (please copy and paste from the document on Canvas) | “War is the mere continuation of politics by other means” is a famous line from Carl von Clausewitz’s On War. In this sense war is the use of violence in disagreements that cannot be resolved peacefully. Yet, when is it permissible to use violence in a breakdown of negotiation? How do societies justify these "exceptional" cases? |
Declaration: The attached essay represents my own work. I have read and understood the University’s policies on academic honesty and I confirm that the attached work conforms to these policies.
Please type your name: MA Wai Yee
Response to feedback:
I refined my thesis statements and controlling ideas based on the instructor’s suggestion because my topic sentences in my first draft were always not clear arguments. I tried to think further after reading the assigned readings and made use of them to support my arguments and paragraphs within the word limit. Also, I rewrote those examples used to support my arguments because examples used did not well support the arguments in the first draft, so I tried to rethink how to solidify my arguments and develop the paragraph fully. Because there was major coherence problem in the first draft, I tried to make better cohesion between paragraphs and within the paragraphs, so the organization would be better to ensure the essay can be followed with ease. Furthermore, I tried to add scope into the introduction in my final essay to benefit the essay’s coherence. Based on the feedback in first draft, I tried to refine my essay to make it better. |
Deadly war exists as a resort to resolve the intractable problems when attempts to reach workable compromise fail in times of conflicts. To avoid unnecessary casualties and massive destruction, pacifists against the war call for “ceasefire” and suggest that “Even unjustified peace is better than a just war”. However, war should considered to be permissible as it secures the well-being of people and ends political disputes by facilitating the peace negotiations. This will be asserted firstly by demonstrating why waging war is acceptable despite of the irrevocable damage to society. This is because war saves people from plight. Secondly, the statement of war should be deemed to be acceptable to ensure the safety of people is corroborated because the intention is justifiable. Finally, the argument that war can achieve the conclusion of peace to resolve the disagreements because the improbability of victory and unacceptable cost cause the weaker side to capitulate is examined.
Though waging war may seem an immoral act, it is an acceptable political means because it bails the ordinary people out of plight. As history tells that wars caused heavy civilian casualties, economic depression and destruction of infrastructure, it is widely argued that the use of violence is immoral. Some people believe that war is all about who can do the most damage which causes bloodshed but can achieve nothing. (Lyn Smith, 2011) This is an over-pessimistic and ill-founded argument, however, for at least two reasons. Most particularly, a world without war might seem ideal, but people may suffer more in oppression than war. E.T. Moneta, a Nobel Peace Prize Laureate, believed “If there is one thing more horrible than war, it is the oppression of one people by another, slavery.” This is because slavery kills people’s spirit and grants them no freedom. Waging a war can give people the hope of revolutionary change in future and provide the opportunity to bail the ordinary people out of dire strait. Secondly, the argument for which war is a disaster that achieves nothing is ill-advised because history proves that war is effective for advancing in civilization. This can be seen from the example that American civil war contributed to human civilization progress because slavery was abolished and slaves were granted civil rights. (Sandi E. Cooper, 1991) No doubt war causes devastating damage to citizens and society, but waging war is an acceptable political means for the greatest interest of society because it rescues ordinary people from the plight.
A key argument justifying war is that war can be used in a breakdown of negotiations to ensure the safety of people because waging war for self-dense is a justifiable intention. St. Thomas Aquinas, an influential philosopher, suggested that a war is acceptable if the cause is justified, and the combatants have “a right intention, so that they intend the advancement of good, or the avoidance of evil”. (Richard, 2009) Using War to end those inhuman and degrading treatments should be acceptable because the intention is justifiable- protecting the lives and rights of people. Bangladesh liberation war exemplifies the argument. After Pakistani military junta launched Operation Searchlight against the people of East Pakistan which pursued the systematic elimination of nationalist Bengali civilians, religious minorities and intelligentsia, war was triggered for the sake of saving Bangladesh from the genocide. The war was permissible in a breakdown of negotiation as it aimed to pursue justice and protect citizens from humanitarian crisis. Innocent lives were free from torture or other atrocities by the means of war, even there were sacrifices and risk in battle. In other words, the interest of people can be protected because the attainment of the political object is possible if the battle is successful. (Carl von Clausewitz, 1989) Therefore, war should be regarded as an acceptable way to ensure the safety of people as defeating the opposing force can prevent it from further jeopardizing the vital interests and human rights of citizens.
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