Patterns of Belief

Carlton, Eric.

Attic Pr

War and Ideology (Routledge Library Editions: Security and Society)

Reference

Routledge

Why do nations go to war? Is war an institutionalized outlet for our aggressive instincts? Or is it a cultural invention rather than a biological necessity? Originally published in 1990, Eric Carlton, looking across a number of societies investigates why men and women go to war, and how they are able to commit atrocities against their enemy. He believes that central to these issues is the perception of the enemy and the ways in which this is 'converted' - consciously or unconsciously - into an ideology of aggression. Military training and ideology are based upon the definition of the enemy as 'the other', and studies in the text reveal the importance of the stereotyped image of the enemy when soldiers carry out atrocities. Dr Carlton explores the underlying problem of how and why societies resort to war, by analysing the motivations, usually religious and ideological, which legitimize warlike policies and activities. Fascinating case studies consider the ways in which the enemy has been seen in various historical and comparative contexts: for instance, to ancient Egyptians the enemy were non-people, to Romans uncouth barbarians, to Maoists class antagonists. These studies underline the fact that perceptions of the adversary determine the nature of warfare more than any other single factor. The book is unique in its discussion of the idea of the enemy in warfare and military ideology, and in its use of an historical method to comment on situations which are still relevant to the modern world. Its historical and comparative perspective, and its extensive case studies, make it of great value and interest to students of history, sociology, and politics, as well as to those engaged in war studies.

Why do men resort to war to solve their socio-economic problems? That is the question that Eric Carlton asks, and attempts to answer, in this stimulating, readable study. Relating war to ideology, this book is based on the proposition that men act as they think, and think as they believe, and that belief - religious or otherwise - conditions attitudes toward the nature and conduct of war. Carlton argues that various constellations of values, often intellectualized as ideologies, not only constitute the rationalizations and justifications for war, but may also provide the actual imperatives for warfare itself.Carlton conducts his lively discussion in a historical and comparative setting, with case studies of war in eleven societies (ancient Egypt, Sparta, Athens, Carthage, Rome, early Israel, Crusader Knights, Mongols, Aztecs, Zulus, Maoists), in each of which the enemy is differently perceived. A final section, "War and the Problem of Values," draws together the threads of the arguments and reaffirms the relationship between war and ideological belief and commitment.

War and Ideology

Politics & Social Sciences

Philosophy

Rowman & Littlefield Publishers

How does a successful conquering power retain control of the land it occupiesóoften in the face of hostility? In Occupation, Eric Carlton explores the methods employed by dominant powers to ensure their supremacy and considers the critical relationship between military authority and civilian population. In exploring this complex relationship, Dr. Carlton covers both the nature of control and its practical implementation. Working from the premise that the ideology of the occupying power conditions the exercise of power and that control is gained either by compulsion or persuasion, he examines the options available to the aggressor nation in maintaining authority. These, he suggests, include both the use of force and the implementation of forms of social controlólegal, moral and religious preceptsóas well as the utilization of the social norms of the occupied nation. In order to demonstrate the wide variety of control policies used, Dr. Carlton presents a spectrum of case studies, with examples ranging from the Roman Empire to British colonialism in India and the exploitation of Peru by the Spanish. Particular attention is given to the Nazi atrocities of the Second World War, and to the moral aspects of military repression. Contents: Foreword; Introduction: Ideology and Control; Analyses of Power; Assimilation: The Expedient Policies of the Roman Empire; Re-education: British Colonialism in India; Culturation: The Neo-colonialism of the United States in Latin America; Reconstitutionalization: The Macedonian Empire of Alexander the Great; Malintegration: Japan and the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity; Abritrary Repression: Mussolini and the Italian African Empire; Exploitation: The Spanish in Peru; Subjugation: Europeans and the Indigenes of North America; Depredation: The Assyrians and Population Transfer; Selective Control: Nazi Non-Eastern Occupation Policies; Extermination: Nazi Policies and Practices in the "East"; Excursus: The Holocaust and the SS Intelligentsia; Afterthough

Occupation: The Policies and Practices of Military Conquerors

History

Military

Looking across a number of societies, Eric Carlton investigates why men and women go to war and how they are able to commit atrocities against their enemy. He believes that central to these issues is the perception of the enemy and the ways in which this is "converted" - consciously or unconsciously - into an ideology of aggression. Military training and ideology are based upon the definition of the enemy as "the other", and studies in the text reveal the importance of the stereotyped image of the enemy when soldiers carry out atrocities. Dr Carlton explores the underlying problem of how and why societies resort to war, by analyzing the motivations, usually religious and ideological, which legitimize war-like policies and activities. A wide range of case studies consider the ways in which the enemy has been seen in various historical and comparative contexts: for instance, to ancient Egyptians the enemy were non-people, to Romans uncouth barbarians, to Maoists class antagonists. These studies underline the single fact that perceptions of the adversary determine the nature of warfare more than any single factor.

The Problem of War

Social Sciences

In this exploration of the nature of occupation, Eric Carlton concentrates on the complex relationship between military authority and civilian population and explores the methods used by dominant powers ot maintain their authority. Drawing from a wide range of case studies, including examinations of British colonial interests in India and the Nazi atrocities of the Second World War, Dr Carlton assesses the nature of social control and the effect of ideology on the exercising of power, and considers the moral aspects of military repression.

Americas

Truly interdisciplinary work between Sociology and History is are, because one discipline usually exploits the concerns or data of the other. Eric Carlton, however, has succeeded in bringing together the distinctive orientations of sociology and ancient history into a clearly written discussion of concerns crucial to both disciplines. Based on a comparative analysis or two pre-industrial civilisations, those of Ancient Egypt and Classical Athens, the study is primarily concerned with three issues. The first is the relationship between belief and action: does belief (intellectualised as ideology) affect or determine social behaviour? Second, the author examines the ways in which belief contributes to stability and ‘good order’ in society, and asks to what extent such factors as social status and social change are related to institutionalised mechanisms of social control. Finally, he indicates possible sociological frameworks or models which are ideological rather than stratificatory, whereby complex pre-industrial systems might be analysed. By analysing the societies of Ancient Egypt and Classical Athens in institutional terms, Eric Carlton examines the potency and pervasiveness of the ideological factor and shows that it is a persistent and determinative feature of this type of society.

Ideology and social order (International library of sociology)

Routledge & K.Paul

Carlton (sociology and social policy, University of Durham) considers the enduring fascination with experiences for which science offers no ready explanation. He traces the historical development of ideas and research associated with the paranormal, from the ancient cultures of Mesopotamia and Egypt

The Paranormal: Research and the Quest for Meaning

Ashgate Pub Ltd

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Carlton, Eric.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Carlton, Eric.

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Carlton, Eric.. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Patterns of Belief

Patterns of Belief

War and Ideology (Routledge Library Editions: Security and Society)

War and Ideology (Routledge Library Editions: Security and Society)

War and Ideology

Occupation: The Policies and Practices of Military Conquerors

The Problem of War

Occupation: The Policies and Practices of Military Conquerors

Ideology and social order (International library of sociology)

The Paranormal: Research and the Quest for Meaning