Mr Muhammad Shehryar is currently pursuing his Bachelor's in International Relations at the University of Peshawar.
In Why Men Fight, Bertrand Russell beautifully explains why men fight and where the need to fight arises. Sometimes, fighting is essential for survival, while other times, it is necessary to gain liberties and take on responsibilities within a community. Conflicts can emerge at any time and anywhere. Every century has witnessed deadly conflicts and wars.
In the seventeenth century, we saw the Thirty Years War and the Glorious Revolution. The eighteenth century was marked by the French Revolution, which engulfed all European states in terror, and the US War of Independence. There were also minor wars in other parts of the world. The nineteenth century was relatively peaceful in Europe after Napoleon’s defeat.
However, in the twentieth century, European states were devastated by two world wars and the Cold War. In the early decades of the current century, the War on Terror dominated, and new threats are now emerging. Although this book was published during the Second World War, its philosophy provides a foundation for understanding the conflicting interests that can lead to war.
Man has always suffered from wars, but why is he repeatedly drawn into conflicts? Bertrand Russell answers this question in Why Men Fight. Human activities stem from two main sources: desire and impulse. Desire is what an individual perceives as something satisfactory for himself, and achieving this brings him happiness. This is the rational aspect of human behavior, but when desires are fueled by other elements, they can lead to evil in society.
The other source is impulse, which is a reflexive action. People often act not to achieve a specific goal but because they are motivated by an immediate, instinctive urge. While desires may appear to guide our behavior, they are often just rationalizations for deeper impulses. Just as personal impulses influence individual actions, they also impact larger societal behaviors.
Nationalistic attitudes, class struggles, and gender conflicts are often driven by underlying impulses for power, recognition, and control. These impulses, which are often presented as rational goals, continue........