Synopses & Reviews
Many consider conscience to be one of the most important—if not the fundamental—quality that makes us human, distinguishing us from animals, on one hand, and machines on the other. But what
is conscience, exactly? Is it a product of our biological roots, as Darwin thought, or is it a purely social invention? If the latter, how did it come into the world?
In this biography of that most elusive human element, Martin van Creveld explores conscience throughout history, ranging across numerous subjects, from human rights to health to the environment. Along the way he considers the evolution of conscience in its myriad, occasionally strange, and ever-surprising permutations. He examines the Old Testament, which—erroneously, it turns out—is normally seen as the fountainhead from which the Western idea of conscience has sprung. Next, he takes us to meet Antigone, the first person on record to explicitly speak of conscience. We then visit with the philosophers Zeno, Cicero and Seneca; with Christian thinkers such as Paul, Augustine, Aquinas, and, above all, Martin Luther; as well as modern intellectual giants such as Machiavelli, Rousseau, Kant, Hegel, Nietzsche, and Freud. Individual chapters are devoted to Japan, China, and even the Nazis, as well as the most recent discoveries in robotics and neuroscience and how they have contributed to the ways we think about our own morality. Ultimately, van Creveld shows that conscience remains as elusive as ever, a continuously mysterious voice that guides how we think about right and wrong.
Synopsis
Many consider conscience to be one of the most important, if not the fundamental quality that distinguishes humans from animals on one hand and machines on the other. However, what is conscience? Is it a product of our biological roots, as Darwin thought, or is it a purely social invention? If so, how did it come into the world?
Beginning in ancient Egypt Martin van Creveld explores conscience throughout history, ranging across numerous subjects from human rights to health and the environment. Along the way he considers the evolution of conscience in its myriad, occasionally strange, and ever-surprising permutations. Individual chapters are devoted to Japan, China, and the Nazis, as well as the most recent discoveries in robotics and neuroscience. The book concludes by arguing that, the claims of the artificial intelligence community notwithstanding, we are no closer to understanding the nature of conscience than we have ever been. As one computer expert has said, we shall probably build machines able to mimic conscience before we know what it really is.
Synopsis
War and games have always been intimately related in many different ways. This book studies the history of wargames - from the Old Testament to computer games - and explores their development, their links to real warfare, and their role in human culture at large.
Synopsis
Where did wargames come from? Who participated in them, and why? How is their development related to changes in real-life warfare? Which aspects of war did they capture, which ones did they leave out, how, and why? What do they tell us about the conduct of war in the times and places where they were played? How useful are they in training and preparation for war? Why are some so much more popular than others, and how do men and women differ in their interest? Starting with the combat of David versus Goliath, passing through the gladiatorial games, tournaments, trials by battle, duels, and board games such as chess, all the way to the latest simulations and computer games, this unique book traces the subject in all its splendid richness. As it does so, it provides new and occasionally surprising insights into human nature.
About the Author
Martin van Creveld is professor emeritus at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and writes on subjects ranging from military history to the history of women. He is the author of many books, including, most recently, The Age of Airpower and Wargames.