| The question of whether war is
inevitable is one which has concerned many of the world's great writers.
Before considering this question, it will be useful to introduce some
related concepts. Conflict, defined as opposition among social entities (实体)
directed against one another, is distinguished from competition, defined
as opposition among social entities independently striving for something which
is in inadequate supply. Competitors may not be aware of one another, while the
parties to a conflict are. Conflict and competition are both categories of
opposition, which has been defined as a process by which soical entities
function in the disservice of one another. Opposition is thus contrasted with
cooperation, the process by which social entities function in the disservice of
one another. These definitions are necessary because it is important to
emphasize that competition between individuals or groups is inevitable in a
world of limited resources, but conflict is not. Conflict, nevertheless, is very
likely to occur, and is probably an essential and desirable element of human
societies. Many authors have argued for the inevitability of war from the premise that in the struggle for existence among animal species, only the fittest survive. In general, however, this struggle in nature is competition, not conflict. Social animals, such as monkeys and cattle, fight to win or maintain leadership of the group. The struggle for existence occurs not in such fights, but in the competition for limited feeding areas and for the occupancy of areas free from meat eating animals. Those who fail in this competition starve to death or become victims to other species. This struggle for existence does not resemble human war, but rather the competition of individuals for jobs, markets, and materials. The essence of the struggle is the competition for the necessities of life that are insufficient to satisfy all. Among nations there is competition in developing resources, trades, skills, and a satisfactory way of life. The successful nations grow and prosper, the unsuccessful decline. While it is true that this competition may include efforts to expand territory at the expense of others, and thus lead to conflict, it cannot be said that, war-like conflict among nations is inevitable, although competition is. |