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Show PHILOSOPH1 AND WAR ot nee tho We ch re ol t on has h o oph p i il such a part n war as at the prcscut t me Ihe revolt of the 1 ench eople vas based largely pon rad eal doctrines explo ted by A olta re Eo sseau and the ph losophers ot the r school To An er cans who a e not watched the trend of c 1 at on n Germany the dom nat on of a h losoph c school m national af tars cones as nevis Whatove deals we ha e concerning internat onal rcla t ons are fo nded pon peace wh le n Gc many nternat onal relat ous aro found d upon a ph losophj of militar sm Recently efforts ha e been n ade by C ermaus u th s country to dnicrcd t the nfl ence of the mil tary m uded philosophers who have so powerfully d rccted German thought n the last generat on It must be conceded of course that mill ons of Germans have not s bscr bed to the doctr nes of Tre schke the schoolman and of Von Bernhard the m 1 tary expert At the same t me the efforf to mm mize the nfluence of these savants is fut le. The r philosoph has become a part of the warp and woof of thought among the dominant party in Germany the n il tary caste and in the opinion ot Americans who cherish the deals of peace the doctrines have created a German spirit wholly d fferent from that wh ch prevailed in tho days of Goethe and Kant iscount Bryce former British nun ister to the Un ted States has tren chantly summarized the views of "Von Bernhardt using Bernhardt a own words except when it becomes notes sary to abridge a lengthy argument iscount Bryce s summary is as fol lows War is In itself a good thins It is a biological necessity of tl e first importance The Inevltableness the idealism the blessing of war are as Indispensable and stimulating as the law of development and must be re peatedly emphasized War is the greatest factor In the furtherance of culture and poer Efforts to secure peace are eT ti-aordlnaiily detrimental as soon as they Influence politics Fortunately these efforts oan ne er attain their ultimate objects In a world bristling with arms and where healthy egotism still d reds the policy of most countries God will see to It, says Treitschke that war always will recur as a drastic medicine for the human race Efforts directed toard the aboil tlon of war are not only foolish but absolutely Immoral and must be stigmatized as unworthy of the hu man race. Courts of arbitration are pernicious delusions The whole Idea represents presumptuous encroachment on the natural laws of development, which can only lead to most disastrous con sequences for humanit. generally The maintenance of peace never can ba or may be the goal of a polio Efforts for peace would ir the) at tained their goal lead to general de generation as happens everywhere in nature where the struggle for exist ence Is eliminated Huge armaments are In themselves desirable They are a most necessan pre condition or our national health The end all and be al) or a state Is power and he who Is not man enough to look this truth In the fac" should not mddie with po It es (quoted from Treitschke s Po Itlk A state s hlxheet mora du s n increase its power Th Mate s justified In making conquests nhrn ever Its own advantage re ms lo e quire additions terr too Self preservation Is a state s h gh est Ideal and justifies nhate.c a tlon It may take The state is the sole judge of t morality of Its own action It s In fact above morality o In o h words whatever Is necessary Is mors RscognlzPd rights I e trea rights) are ne er absolu ergs they ars of human origin and th e fore Imperfect end variable There are conditions In which they do not correspond to the set a I truth of things. In this esse infringement of the right appears morally justified Weak nations have not t ame right to I ve as the powerf I and ; orous nation Any action In favor of co lo t ve h manlty outside the Urn s of the state nd nationality s Impossible It will be recalled that the Oerman chancellor when defending the invasion of Belgium made precisely the argi ment concern ng self preservat on which is quoted above lie argued that Germany was f ghtlng for Its existence and therefore was rust fled in taking the admittedly illegal step of nvad ing Belgium How quickly the Oer man militarists changed their po nt of vow when the Belg ans adopto 1 t as the r own Follow ng the prine pie that self preservat on was a high deal the Belgian c v 1 ans f we are to bel eve German repo ts bo gan sniping and at once a groat h e and cry aroso in Germany aga nst s an atrocity Wherever tbo a cusc I civilians were caught they were Kb without mercy and even w tho t tri 1 As we have already pointel o t tho rale works both ways If tbe (lorn ans have the right to do Illegal acts n a fight for existence tl e Belgians ha c an eq al r ght The lea of tho Jer man militarist s that m ght al es right It was r ght to nvade Holg because Germany had the pov.er to lo t it was wrong for the so po s to shoot German soldiors boca ne tl cv g caught Gonmentng u on tl o p losopby Treltschko a 1 Von Bnr ar I I i Dryco says T oso p s t ng p pos ons th ugh rron n led I a ay lomat The a n not o I r twenty two o los ho s ph ft ThrasymH s T 1 to n op g el that Pn (ph id rf K n " h k n ng K K n K fl hn h d o e j c sta e o n an l oxcept t at of i oa ng ts own s pe o v zat on pon as la ge a a flu nan t as pose b o and a den of c u v of obser 1ni, t eat e t c are o so u h pa le To odern uern an v te s o sao sane noet emendous e t tv an t is to L g shmo o Vme leans it Is the supren e powo t a sort of mystic sanct t i po er conce ed of as it vere se f c ea od a fo o a togethe d s Ion n 1 superior to t e pe sons v o compose B t a sta e s af a on y so many ind idua s organ zed nder a go ernn o L It is no v se no n o e rle teous t a t e h man be ngs of won t ons s s and vthon it sets up o go em If a r g t fo pcrso s n ed as tizens nto a slate to rob a d n u de fo t e r co ect e advantage by her o ec ve pow er why si ou d t be v eked fo c tizens as indl Idua s to do so Does t elr mo al c po b lj cease we a 1 be ea se t ev act togct er? Most o,al systems lod t at t ere a e tc a wh ch ono n an may la f y do wh ch become lawfu If do e by a nun ber of n en consp ring toget or But now It woud seem that what woud be a c ime n pe sons as indlv dua s Is h gh po I y for t oso persons un ted In a sta o Ha3 a state the no mora ty o respons b ts ' |