Tag: War & Peace
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War and Peace: In the Light of Being – 12
The Peace That Contains All Looking Back We began with a simple question. What do we mean when we speak of war and peace? At first the answer seemed almost self-evident. War appeared as conflict, peace as its absence. Yet the more carefully we looked, the less sufficient those familiar definitions became. History showed us…
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War and Peace: In the Light of Being – 11
The Original War The Horizon We Never Stop Crossing Throughout history, humanity has rarely been content simply to inhabit the world it finds. Every age has sought to cross the horizon that seemed to define it. A sailor reaches the edge of the known sea and wonders what lies beyond. An explorer crosses a mountain…
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War and Peace: In the Light of Being – 10
History in Another Light The History We Usually Tell History is often told as the story of what human beings accomplish. History presents us with empires, nations, wars, discoveries, and civilizations, each appearing within the changing landscape of human life. Every generation receives the achievements and failures of those who came before it, while hoping…
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War and Peace: In the Light of Being – 9
It Was There All Along The Strange Nature of Recognition Some experiences leave us with the curious feeling that nothing new has happened, even though everything seems different. An old melody begins to play, and within a few notes we know it immediately. Walking through a familiar town after many years away, we suddenly recognise…
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War and Peace: In the Light of Being – 8
What Action Presupposes Every Action Begins Somewhere Human life is inseparable from action. From the moment we wake until we fall asleep, we are continually doing something. We care for those entrusted to us, make plans, solve problems, repair what has broken, protect what we value, and prepare for what may come. Whether our actions…
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War and Peace: In the Light of Being – 7
The Measure of Reality How We Measure the World Much of ordinary life depends upon measuring reality according to what can be done. We ask whether something can be achieved, protected, improved, repaired, preserved, or lost. Parents care for their children, physicians treat their patients, builders construct homes, and governments make decisions with the future…
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War and Peace: In the Light of Being – 6
What Cannot Fall Into Nothing The Horizon of Loss In the previous article we considered the possibility that peace does not simply arise whenever conflict comes to an end. Historical peace remains precious, yet history itself seems unable either to establish it permanently or to preserve it indefinitely. This raises another question. If peace does…
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War and Peace: In the Light of Being – 5
The Peace History Cannot Give What Do We Mean by Peace? Peace is one of the most cherished words in every language. Nations pursue it through diplomacy, families long for it after conflict, and individuals seek it in the midst of restless lives. We celebrate when wars come to an end, when violence subsides, and…
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War and Peace: In the Light of Being – 4
What Lies Beyond Our Power? The Expanding Horizon of Action Throughout history, humanity has continually extended its ability to shape the world. We cultivate the land, build cities, harness rivers, cross oceans, cure diseases, explore space, and communicate across continents in an instant. Each generation inherits the achievements of those before it and adds something…
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War and Peace: In the Light of Being – 3
The Measure of Our Power Shaping the World Human life is inseparable from action. From the moment we are born, we find ourselves in a world that calls for a response. We learn, build, cultivate, protect, heal, repair, invent, and organize. We do not simply inhabit the world. We continually seek to shape it. This…
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War and Peace: In the Light of Being – 2
The World We Shape Acting in the World Whether we build or destroy, protect or attack, reconcile or separate, we are always acting. From the smallest decisions of daily life to the greatest events of history, human existence unfolds through countless acts of willing. We choose, plan, defend, organize, create, preserve, and sometimes destroy. Whether…
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War and Peace: In the Light of Being – 1
What Do We Mean by War and Peace? Words We Rarely Question Few words seem more familiar than war and peace. From childhood onward, we learn to think of them as opposites: war is violence and peace its absence. One begins where the other ends, and history itself often appears to move back and forth…
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War and Peace: In the Light of Being – Introduction
War and peace are among the oldest words in the human story. They belong to every civilisation, every culture, and every generation. They shape our understanding of history, influence our hopes for the future, and often determine how we judge both ourselves and others. We usually think we know what these words mean: war is…
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