[The Editors' Verdict] Peace Cannot Be Bought with Money

Research on when war first existed is not an old subject. Until the 1960s, studies and the prevailing atmosphere were clearly influenced by the thinker Jean-Jacques Rousseau. It was believed that humanity during the hunting and gathering era consisted of a small number of individuals widely dispersed, naturally forming harmonious societies. Because resources were abundant, they lived peaceful lives, and war was considered nonexistent.

It was argued that war emerged during the evolution of civilization over the past 10,000 years, accounting for only 0.5% of human history. As humans adopted settlement and agriculture as means of survival, population increased, private property rights appeared, social classes differentiated, and states were born. With the emergence of state oppression, various social injustices, including war, began to appear. Given the continuous cycle of wars observed in history, linking civilization and war seemed very plausible.

This argument is succinctly summarized in the title of a 1940 paper by American anthropologist Margaret Mead, "Warfare is Only an Invention?Not a Biological Necessity." The belief that there was no war before the birth of civilization and culture, and that human nature is peaceful, was a fundamental perception of the 1960s hippie culture and anti-war movements.

However, the claim that war was born with civilization had to be revised by subsequent research. Mead argued that the Eskimos did not even know the concept of war, let alone defensive war. But it was later revealed that the Eskimos were not entirely peaceful, and the same applied to existing hunting and gathering tribes. Furthermore, it was discovered that they did not wander aimlessly in search of shelter and food but had territories they defended.

Jane Goodall, an anthropologist famous for her field studies, observed that chimpanzees were no different. Although known as herbivores, they also sought meat and attacked weaker animals in groups. She also found that each group had territories they defended. Males patrolled their territories and launched merciless attacks on intruders who were not females seeking to join the group. They also actively invaded the territories of other groups.

Ultimately, war has been a means used since ancient times to resolve conflicts. Despite its horrors, war continues to be used as a method of conflict resolution even in modern times. It has already been 70 years since war broke out on this land. As collective memories of war faded, a peace economy emerged. The bizarre idealism that peace could be promoted and national wealth increased through economic exchange became the core of national policy. The belief was that conflicts could be resolved with money, thus eliminating war.

However, peace cannot be bought with money. The moment one begins to believe that peace can be purchased with money, war is conceived. The fall of Rome clearly demonstrated that peace without the ability to defend itself does not last long. When the Huns and Germanic tribes began to invade, the Western Roman Empire maintained peace by bribing them with gold and silver treasures. But peace bought with money could not last. The truth that peace is maintained only when there is the ability to defend it is an eternal truth. Watching recent announcements about North Korea shooting and burning our citizens and the subsequent responses, one cannot shake the chilling thought that we have already begun to lose that ability.

Jo Jang-ok, Professor of Economics, Sogang University

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.