Have Universities Seen the End of War?
Have Universities Seen the End of War? By Thomas K. Lindsay, Real Clear Politics
Is war a fixed part of human nature? "Yes" has been the answer given by historians and philosophers for centuries, going at least as far back as Thucydides' History of the Peloponnesian War, which chronicled the conflict between Athens and Sparta from 431 to 404 B.C. There, in what's called the "Melian Dialogue," the Athenians argued that "the question of justice arises only between parties equal in strength," whereas "the strong do what they can, and the weak submit." Why? Because "men, by a natural law, always rule where they are stronger." Twenty-three centuries later, Santayana observed, "Only the dead have seen the end of war."
If the seeds of war are planted in human nature, the study of human nature, the humanities, needs to take account of it. For this reason, American history courses had always — up until recently — offered military-history courses. No more: Observers have noted an alarming decline in military-history courses in university history departments nationally. Their concern appears warranted. In 2004, Edward Coffman, an emeritus history professor, surveyed U.S. News and World Report's top 25 history departments. He found that "of over 1,000 professors, only 21 identified war as a specialty." …