“We make war so that we may live in peace” Aristotle

Human societies have waged war against each other for centuries upon centuries. Wars can involve both entire nations and individual tribes which can shift the balance of power. The victor gains the spoils and, as some have put it, writes the history books. Aristotle asserts that the purpose of war is so that human societies can enjoy peace; that boundaries can be established so that society may be well-ordered. War can involve physical confrontation, but in a broader sense, it means establishing the limits of tolerance and responding when those limits are breached. Certainly, there are cases wherein war eventually results in relative peace, however, looking further will show hat at its core, war can be fuelled by greed and desire that can leave nations bitter and affects multiple generations.

War in terms of physical confrontation can be used to defend against an incumbent aggressor or pre-empt the actions of a rogue nation that seeks to expand its territory. Most certainly, on the surface, the Second World War combated such a move with Allied forces moving to neutralise imperialist forces and after the threat was abated, liberating those nations which succumbed. In this case, peace was afforded. However, the years of bitterness sewed in the hearts of Jewish people, for example, still plays out a campaign for justice. Japanese migrants to nations such as Australia were treated with some hostility. Hence, the peace that was afforded may not have extended beyond an absence of the physical manifestation of war.

Establishing one’s limits of tolerance can be instrumental in bringing order and security to a society and individual. It is any nation’s right to expect such boundaries to be respected. If not, they enforce certain requirements and peace reigns. On the surface, this is noble and right, however, there is room to consider what civil liberties are relinquished for the sake of order (‘peace’) and whether this creates animosity or resentment among groups. For instance, Prohibition in the US sparked an underground trade in alcohol that created criminals out of people simply desiring to enjoy good drink in a free country. In this case, drastic wars within a society can also create disorder and fuel resentment.

Finally, while there are many cases in which the term war creates a peace in society or in the world, sometimes the reasons war is waged is simply founded on unrequited desire for territory and resources as well as misguided ideology. This situation common to human society throughout time is a result of human nature and the unceasing needs and wants of personalities. On one side, some such as the current US administration assert that by moving swiftly against nations such as Afghanistan and Iraq precludes the possibility of terrorists forming or rallying. Whereas, in reality, America’s need for oil and its foundation to the American dollar is so pivotal to its desire to remain a superpower, one must wonder, as many in the media speculate, if peace is really fuelling their quests. Certainly, no lasting peace has ensued. On the other hand, opponents may say that by seizing available resources, they are protecting the needs of their citizens. Unfortunately, such liberties encroach on other’s rights and peace is far from the bargain.

To conclude, it is clear that in some cases society makes war to ensure peace, and on the surface this seems logical, even plausible. However, the reality is that so much more drives government and the like to breach other’s limits of tolerance. Simple human nature makes it difficult to ensure peace reigns.