The Ethics of Force

From the PREFACE. This little volume had its origin in a series of papers read to the Ethical Club of Washington, D.C., at the time just preceding and following the Spanish War. As it was designed that each should present its special topic with a degree of completeness, it was often necessary at the beginning of successive papers to outline the preceding. It is hoped that such repetitions are not greater than is desirable to keep the whole subject well in mind. While the chapters are in a sense independent, they relate to different phases of the same subject. The popular conceptions of heroism and patriotism are tremendous factors in every war. Differing widely as I do from these popular conceptions, any inference that I hold the things themselves at a lower valuation than others would be most erroneous. What I desire is that the conceptions be recast in the mold of the highest rationality. To forestall any misconception as to my animus, it may be permissible to mention a circumstance to which I should not otherwise allude. It was my fortune, and in some respects my privilege, to serve in the ranks during the Civil War. Shortly after enlistment I had an attack of fever which nearly proved fatal. This was followed by a brief captivity, in which I had a taste of about all the forms of discomfort which could be had. A year later a bullet, having deprived me of an important member, terminated my active service, but added many months to my hospital experience. After this I rounded out my military career with another fever. If not much glory fell to my share, I had certainly an almost unique opportunity of seeing war on its seamy side. In spite of this, I am sure that my attitude toward it is not in the least based upon personal grounds. It should be clear, too, that I cannot possibly lack appreciation of and sympathy for the soldier. I may indeed confess that I have not succeeded wholly in ridding myself of the irrational sentiment which attaches itself to the concepts "heroism" and "patriotism," though these are not now satisfied by spelling the words with a capital letter nor by the bursting of firecrackers. I am under no illusion that this book will have many readers or exert any remarkable influence. A few will, I trust, sympathize with my purpose and find in my labor of love some stimulus for further effort and fresher hope for the race. However this may be, every man born into the world owes it to himself to express, in some way, his deepest convictions; and this debt I have endeavored to pay.