Discussion 1- HEROISM AND ATROCITY
1. Do conceptions of heroism mask atrocity?
2. What connections/correlations do you perceive between heroism, manliness, and violence?
3. Where does the human body fit into accounts of war? What is done by, or to, the body in war?
4. What can we learn about a society by the way it represents its soldiers?
5. What steps are taken in the modern world to prevent the commission of atrocities? Who is deemed responsible for atrocity prevention? How effective are current measures?
Discussion 2- JUST WAR, JUST PEACE
1. What is the meaning of jus ad bellum, and what are its criteria?
2. Is warfare ever justifiable?
3. Martin Van Creveld argues that "war without rules is impossible". Do you agree? Why/why not?
4. How, and why, have Europeans rationalised mass murder in modern history?
Discussion 3- WAR'S FUTURE
1. What is the role of the conventional army in contemporary warfare?
2. What is the future of war likely to look like?
3. Is world peace possible?
4. Is "clash of civilisations" a useful descriptor of conflict since the end of the Cold War? Why/why not?