"The Moral Equivalent of War" by William James

Dubbed as the “Father of American Psychology” and one of the main influencers in the pragmatist movement (a philosophy based on practical application), James is a well respected theorist. His theories influenced thousands across the country, which gives him ethos in this field.

In “The Moral Equivalent of War,” William James discusses the balance between war and pacifism. Being a pacifist himself, he believes that a world without war against one another would be the ideal society. On the contrary, he does not believe in the total eradication of war as there are many benefits that help to create productive society. He proposes a utopian society where we wage war against nature instead of one another. This way, our society would reap the benefits of war without the fatalities.

This passage was relevant around the early 1900s when it was published because of growing tensions across the ocean with Japan’s expanding empire and with Europe’s pre-WWI state. James’s plea for a peaceful society was directed towards the American people as war seemed like an inevitable event among these growing tensions.

One rhetorical device that stands out in this passage is James’s use of pathos. He says, “War is, in short, a permanent human obligation” (49). The use of words like “permanent” and “obligation” draw powerful emotion such as fear and urgency from the audience. Sentences like this are used throughout the entirety of the passage. Another example is when he says, “We should get toughness without callousness, authority with as little criminal cruelty as possible...because the duty... threatens not to degrade the whole remainder of one’s life” (54). The use of these powerful sentences also sets a pressing mood, which makes his purpose seem more real and in-the-moment.

All in all, I believe that James conveys his ideas in a clear way that the audience can easily understand, but I do not think that he successfully convinces them, as he romanticizes the idea of war. He makes war seem like a great deed to humanity, when in reality, it is full of bloodshed and violence.

A War Against Nature and Not Against Each Other
(http://voiceseducation.org/content/make-war-against-war)