In My Reveries upon the Art of War, Maurice de Saxe argues that military commanders must understand the fundamentals of warfare before pursuing innovation. The greatest lesson that De Saxe’s text reveals is that human nature can be controlled through discipline. This is apparent when examining how human nature differs from military culture and by considering how the military uses discipline to control human nature.
Adhering to the military culture is not ordinary to the nature of human beings. To simplify the many different philosophy’s regarding the nature of man, one can look at two opposing views. First, is the philosopher Hobbes who sees humans as “beasts” in pursuit of survival. He believes that by nature, humans are inherently bad …show more content…
Discipline is “control that is gained by requiring that rules or orders be obeyed and punishing bad behavior.” De Saxe states that, “after the organization of troops, military discipline is the first matter that presents itself. It is the soul of armies. If it is not established with wisdom and maintained with unshakable resolution you will have no soldiers.” He also argues that the greatness of the Roman military was a result of “severe” discipline. The military uses discipline to create a commitment to the group, a sense of pride, and a willingness to overcome fear in each of its members. Discipline can make humans take action that may be against an individual’s nature. The Japanese Empire effectively used discipline for this purpose during World War II. Beginning in 1925, Japanese students received military instruction centered on discipline and how one must be willing to die for the empire. This indoctrination process explains why pilots and submarine operators were willing to volunteer for kamikaze or suicide missions. Discipline prevented an unwilling individual from going against what he perceived as group approval of the mission. The example of kamikaze missions during World War II reveals that discipline can overpower a human’s desire for survival. Another example is the discipline of De Saxe’s men when seizing the city of Prague in 1741. He did not allow his men’s passion to take over the situation. Instead, he is commended for the unique discipline of his men for that age and how there was no pillage. Through discipline, De Saxe was able to control his men and demonstrate compassion for the citizens of Prague. The examples of De Saxe, the Romans, and Japanese kamikazes during World War II reveal that instilling military discipline is an effective way to overcome human
Adhering to the military culture is not ordinary to the nature of human beings. To simplify the many different philosophy’s regarding the nature of man, one can look at two opposing views. First, is the philosopher Hobbes who sees humans as “beasts” in pursuit of survival. He believes that by nature, humans are inherently bad …show more content…
Discipline is “control that is gained by requiring that rules or orders be obeyed and punishing bad behavior.” De Saxe states that, “after the organization of troops, military discipline is the first matter that presents itself. It is the soul of armies. If it is not established with wisdom and maintained with unshakable resolution you will have no soldiers.” He also argues that the greatness of the Roman military was a result of “severe” discipline. The military uses discipline to create a commitment to the group, a sense of pride, and a willingness to overcome fear in each of its members. Discipline can make humans take action that may be against an individual’s nature. The Japanese Empire effectively used discipline for this purpose during World War II. Beginning in 1925, Japanese students received military instruction centered on discipline and how one must be willing to die for the empire. This indoctrination process explains why pilots and submarine operators were willing to volunteer for kamikaze or suicide missions. Discipline prevented an unwilling individual from going against what he perceived as group approval of the mission. The example of kamikaze missions during World War II reveals that discipline can overpower a human’s desire for survival. Another example is the discipline of De Saxe’s men when seizing the city of Prague in 1741. He did not allow his men’s passion to take over the situation. Instead, he is commended for the unique discipline of his men for that age and how there was no pillage. Through discipline, De Saxe was able to control his men and demonstrate compassion for the citizens of Prague. The examples of De Saxe, the Romans, and Japanese kamikazes during World War II reveal that instilling military discipline is an effective way to overcome human