Peace of Westphalia

The argument of Margaret Mead makes in her essay, Warfare Is Only an Invention – Not a Biological Necessity, is completely valid. She claims that warfare is learned and is as much of an invention as the justice system and that until a different behavior comes to replace war and make it unnecessary, humans will resort to warfare. She is not unhopeful that another invention will develop to replace war, explaining that propaganda against war and exposing the true impacts of violence will help to…

In 1648 the Treaty of Westphalia asserted the equality of sovereign states, thus giving birth to international law. The ultimate goal for the creation of universal law emerged from the anarchic world we live in. Unlike domestic law, international law has no global government enforcing the rules. Since rules provide order and help mitigate conflict, an effort emerged to properly deal with conflict among states. International law is created through international agreements and treaties between…

Dusseldorf, Germany is an extremely successful city that is growing in popularity. Though it may not be discussed with the likes of more noted cities, it does possess many qualities that make it worthy to be my region of choice. Such as a stunning harbor that handles over 3 million tons of goods annually, and its modern industrial architecture which includes the thyssen building to the north of the city Centre (Helicon, 2016). Those examples are few of many that make up the several astonishing…

In A Separate Peace John Knowles makes a compelling story about two teenagers, Gene and Phineas, going through life during the time of war. These teenagers were best of friends at their high school, Devon. Being friends, they both brought out the worst and the best in the other, yet they both sacrificed something more important for humanity, during a time where friendships and humanity were betrayed most by an evil called war. Gene, being a competitive person, acquired thinking process in which…

A Separate Peace, characters such as Leper struggle with the acceptance of their discovered inner truth. Discovery of the truth shatters Leper’s romanticized view of the world: turning his politeness and naivety into a corrupted, angry juxtaposition of his former self, and transforming his flowery and illusionary perspective into a reflection of the shock of reality…

Americans, but is it practical? In this paper, I will be arguing on the impracticality of American exceptionalism. I will discuss how the United States’ “empire of bases” (global military presence) does not make us safer, is not conducive to world peace, and is not worth its economic and human costs. I will also offer a better alternative to the situation. My arguments will be supported…

A Woman’s Worth As I read Aristophanes’ Lyristrata, I wondered if he wrote this to unveil his true feelings about the Peloponnese war that was taking place. It would be easy to mask his feelings about ending the war behind a comedic satire about women and power. It would take the burden off of him as coming off too soft or not masculine enough because he wanted the ear to end. Lyristata is about the Peloponnese war and the effect it has on both the men and women of Greece. Lyristrata is the…

President Barack Obama was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize, the United States was in the odd predicament of fighting two wars. Obama noted the apparent strangeness of this, but didn’t outright say war was bad or unnecessary. Instead, Obama claimed that war was in fact necessary in order to attain lasting peace, (3). He stated that while non-violent intervention is ultimately the desired solution instead of armed conflict, it is sometimes impossible to secure peace from non-violent actions, (3). He…

Written in 1795, Immanuel Kant’s essay ‘Toward a Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Sketch’ is a key text in discussions surrounding war, peace, and cosmopolitan ideals. Kant’s ideas of constitution, federation of free states and the cosmopolitan rights of individuals have formed the building blocks of many strategies for peace enacted since then, although his advice is occasionally ignored to this day. Scholars have interpreted Kant’s work in many ways, with some ideas being labeled as liberal,…

Hurricane Matthew made landfall in the United States on Saturday, October 8, bringing up to Category 4 force winds, rain and storm surge to communities across the Southeast. U.S. officials reported damage of at least $10 billion, making Matthew the costliest hurricane since Sandy in 2012. In North Carolina and South Carolina, swollen rivers transformed thoroughfares into canals and homes into sodden islands, in some cases with only the roof or the windows peeking above the water. American Red…