Page Ilgh’

iCARLET AND ILACK

War's Role in West's Civilization Underestimated.
Deeply Involved in at Least Three Social Aspects

By Douglas McCormac

“The role that war has
played in Western civilization
usually is underestimted—
even at Grinnell College,"
claimed Homer-Norton (hist.)
in Wednesday night’s Faculty
Discussion Series examination
of “The Historical and Legal
Aspects of Nuclear War and
Disarmament" With William
,Vanderpool (speech and the-
atre), who talked on the legal
problems of nuclear war, Mr.
Norton led the second in a
series of discussions sponsored

by the Board of Religion on the
general topic, “Nuclear War
and its Alternatives: Moral and
Ethical Implications,"

War is deeply involved in our
Western society in at least
three aspects, making the his-
tory of atomic war “a sticky
package,” Norton saidr War
traditionally has been an in-
strument of political power, a
means and a force in creating
and improving technology, and
a factor for promoting organi-
zation within a state.

Norton cited the role of war

 

Cole: War Paradoxical Situation
Starts Board of Religion Series

A high standard of excellence
and controversy was set for
[his semester’s faculty discus-
sion series on nuclear war by
Richard Cole (Phil). This ser-
ies, sponsored by the Board of
Religion, was initiated on Oct.
_7 with Cole’s discussion Of
"War's Humanity.”

Cole began by emphasizing
the paradoxical nature of war.
It is the only human institution,
he said, which contains both
the base and. the noble, the
ignominious and the grand. It
is a duality which combines
honor, dignity and Virtue with
the lowest forms of bestiality.
He urged the attempt to under-
stand this paradox, which is
the heart of the human condi-
tion, rather than a passive and
cynical acceptance of it.

Cole pointed out that man is
the only animal that accepts
war as part of its social ac:
livities, Animals fight, but this
is not the organized, vicious
struggle of “civilized" man’s
war. .

”A noble imagination” is
able to envision the end of war-
fare, Cole grants. However, he
pointed out that all important
Eolitical unions have been
uiit upon 'the force of war and
maintained through police force
of some kind.

Drawing conclusions which

 

from members of the audience,
Cole discussed the psycholog-
ical implications of war at con-
siderable length. He Said that
war fills a need in man's life
— a need to prove his courage
and provide an outlet for his
”spirited element." There is;
according to Cole, a need in
man for a life which is rational
but courageous. There is a use
and a need for violence. Lite
could exist without war, but; it
very likely would not be worth
living. Cole offered an incom~
plete conception of a possible
"higher warfare” which would
fill this need without bloodshed.
This would not, he said, be a
substitute, but a higher ’de-
velopment of man‘s spirited
element. , ,

During a heated discussion
period which followed Cole’s
talk, several other aspects of
his point of view were brought
out. Courage, he said is the
willingness to face death for

certain goalsTAlthough he is a‘

firm believer in the search for
peace, he claims it is ignoble
to seek peace through fear, for
this is showing a lack of cour-
age. Although he agreed that
war is rarely justifiable on

moral grounds, his ultimatei
view seemed to be that it is}

necessary or inevitable as long
as man has purposes and the
courage to see them through.

 

caused much disagreement

SYRAND
1H6
FROM

ACROSS

J.D.‘x RESTAURANY

in allowing centralized govern
ments to become established
(especially in the time of Na-
poleon), the increasing rate of
obsolescence in weapons, be-
ginning by about 1880, and the
depression-curbing effects of
Nazi Germany's military build-
up as examples of war’s impor-
tance and uses in the Western
world.

In today's tense “balance of
terror," which has produced
war-time economies amidst
seeming peace, no nation will
disarm itself to its own disad-
vantage, Norton concluded.

Admitting that he is some-
what more optimistic though in
a more restricted field. Van-
derpool suggested that lawyers
trained in international law
could solve many of the legal
difficulties involved in disarm-
ament, Lawyers can prevent
cases like the 1981 U. -Russian
agreement—an exemp ar of fuz-
2y language, and such matters
as a legal procedure for the

 

Friday, chohl‘r I OH

Board of Religion Elects New President,
Initiates Program with Town Churches

A reorganized Board of Re-
ligion elected a new president
and three new members Tues-
day night.

Barb Davis, junior history
major, was elected president
following the resignation last
weekend of former president
Eldon Franz. At the same time
LeeAnne Hoepner, Scott Ralis-
back, and Caroline Schaeffer
were elected new members of
the board.

The new faculty discussion se-
ries, with meetings each Wed-
nesday night at 7:30 in the re-
ligious activities room in Stein-

making of agreements and the
establishment of systems for en.
forcement also need to be
studied by qualified experts.

Vanderpool recalled some of
the drawbacks to last year's
test»ban pact, too, saying that
there are no sure means of
verifying a violation, no ma-
chinery for the settlement of
disputes, and a vague withv
drawal clause.

 

er hall, is centered around the
topic, “Nuclear war and its
Alternatives: Moral and Ethh
cal Implications.”

Next Wednesday L u t h e r
Erickson (chain) will speak on
”The Role of the Scientist,"
and on October 28 James Ma-
gee (pol. sci.) will present “A
Political Scientist Looks at Nu-
clear War." Each presentation
will be twenty minutes and fol-
lowed by a discussion.

The interfaith committee of
the Board of Religion is initiat-
ing a new program. With the
co-operation of the churches in
town, each minister will take
a designated Sunday morning
to emphasize as student Sun—
day, at which time he will ex-
plain the main tenets of his
faith.

The first week of the second
semester, the Board will spon-
sor a Religious Emphasis Week.
Several seminary students will
be guests of the campus and
live in the dormitories during
the week.

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