Notes
INTRODUCTION
- Emile Durkheim took society to reflect not the mere summation of indi-
viduals and their characteristics, but “a specific reality which has its own charac-
teristics.” Emile Durkheim, The Rules of Sociological Method (New York: Free Press,
1982), pp. 102, 103, 116; Emile Durkheim, The Division of Labor in Society, translated
by George Simpson (New York: Free Press, 1964). - It should be noted that not all scholars regard the institution of war as a
source of evil and some even support its existence. Samuel Huntington, for example,
worships wars and views them as a primary motive in advancing humanity. The
American War of Independence created the American state, the Civil War created
the American nation, the wars in France and Spain strengthened their nations,
the First World War promoted the concept of equal citizenship, and the Second
World War ended discrimination against blacks. He claimed that the worst thing
that happened to the United States was the disintegration of the Soviet evil king-
dom, while the best thing that happened was the terrorist attacks of September 11,
which brought back the sense of external threat and brought about the renewal of
American patriotism and the declaration of war against global terrorism. Samuel
P. Huntington, Who Are We? The Challenges to America’s National Identity (New York:
Simon & Schuster, 2004). Bradley Thayer presents a less sharp argument. Accord-
ing to him, wars are rarely a good thing, but from time to time they produce good
things. Wars, he says, have caused significant social changes in Western societies,
increased political rights, increased literacy and educational opportunities, and
led to a number of important technological developments—from the invention of
radar to the invention of antibiotics. Equally important, he says, is the fact that
wars create opportunities for victors to improve their interests in international pol-
itics. Bradley A. Thayer, “The Pax Americana and the Middle East: U.S. Grand Stra-
tegic Interests in the Region after September 11,” Mideast Security and Policy Studies,
No. 56 (December 2003), pp. 1–56.