The Ecstasy of War Summary
Essay by moksh Max • February 7, 2017 • Essay • 360 Words (2 Pages) • 3,451 Views
Name : Moksh rajput
Student id: 143-364-164
In “the Ecstasy of War”, the author Barbara Ehrenreich prompts the audience to believe that war is not guided primordially by a warlike instinct. An impulsive instinct could not be held responsible for converting a man to an animal. She argues going to war is no joke, and it takes a lot of preparation for it, both mentally and physically. Thus it cannot be aggression alone that converts a man to a beast.
Ehrenreich cites several examples so as to describe various reasons “why people go to war?” Some of those being a need for land, wishing to expand, territorial discrepancies, a desire for power, and obtaining money or oil from other lands.
Next she puts forth various instances for war not being the onset of aggressive sentiments.[pic 1]
Aggression plays a significant role in hand to hand battles where expressions of rage, temper, and anger become vital. The intense emotions fill the body with adrenaline and give a push for muscular activities. However, the game flips when the weapon of choice changes. With long distance weaponry, such as guns and bows, being cool and calm becomes much more profound as one needs to keep aiming and firing.
Furthermore war comprises of much more than a fight, with preparation, training, organization of equipment and supplies being equally significant. Thus making it vacuous to put the blame for it in impulsive feeling.
Moreover perceiving fighting and killer instinct comes naturally is a flawed philosophy. A significant transformation is necessary for men to leave their home and put their lives on risk. Often the alteration is accompanied with drugs or social pressure of various kinds. Same can be seen in the stories of Scandinavian, Irish hero Cuchulain and in numerous small traditional societies where it is achieved by drumming, dancing or painting their body. Identical to it are the military camps where new recruits are made to drill endlessly, hour-by-hour to the point where they are converted to fighting machines.
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