Tag Archives: War

Fortunes of War

Posted on November 11, 2024 by N.S. Palmer

In the United States, November 11 is Veterans Day, first celebrated in 1919. Back in 1919 it was called Armistice Day, commemorating the 1918 armistice that ended what Americans originally called the European War. When the European War started, Americans … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Political Science, Psychology, Science | Tagged Aggression, Human Nature, Peace, Veterans Day, War, War profiteering | 2 Comments

War is the Second-Worst Thing

Posted on May 26, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

“Give peace a chance” was what they said back in the Vietnam War era of the 1960s. And what reasonable person could argue with it? War is something to avoid — unless the alternative is even worse. Those thoughts are … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Political Science, Psychology | Tagged Courage, Martial virtues, Memorial Day, Military service, Negotiation, Patriotism, Peace, Perseverance, Persistence, Veterans, War, West Point | 2 Comments

Do WMDs Make Religion Too Risky?

Posted on March 27, 2019 by N.S. Palmer

On his blog, philosopher Eric Kaplan posed a serious question (paraphrased here): If our weapons can destroy all life on earth, can we still afford to believe in a God who plays favorites? People sometimes claim that God is “… … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Christianity, Epistemology, Jewish Philosophy, Judaism, Philosophy, Psychology | Tagged Aggression, Atheism, Belief in God, Kin Selection, Philosophy of Religion, Religion, Sapolsky, Steven Weinberg, Theism, War | 3 Comments

Ending the Violence, Part 1

Posted on December 19, 2015 by N.S. Palmer

My latest blog post for The Jerusalem Post: “The road to disaster is paved with pleasant illusions, and the way to deal with evil is not to ignore it,”1 advised Abraham Joshua Heschel. The English philosopher Francis Bacon wasn’t Jewish, … Continue reading →