Catholic Realism and the Abolition of War

Is war an inevitable and inescapable reality of the human condition? Far from it. Rather, like other forms of institutionalized violence that humanity has made great strides toward eliminating war can and should be abolished. Through a gradual and reinforcing process of changing social attitudes as well as public policies, humanity can move toward the eventual elimination of war as an acceptable form of violence--just as it has moved, albeit slowly and unevenly, toward the abolition of other forms of institutional violence, including slavery, lynching, duels, and vendettas. A patient, consistent, and multidimensional global effort can weaken the impulse toward war, and eventually consign war to humanity's past.David Carroll Cochran