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The effects of war go far beyond the battlefield, touching the lives of soldiers, families, and civilians caught in the crossfire, and others back home. The loss of human life, the loss of innocence, psychological trauma, the incredible financial cost of war, damage to the environment-- no matter what the outcome, the effects can be immediate and can last a lifetime.
The Categorical Imperative, formulated by the German philosopher Immanuel Kant, (1724-1804) considers that just as there are natural laws that govern the universe so there are moral laws that govern humankind's activities. Kant's moral law in German "Handel so dass dein Handeln als universales Gesetzt angesehen werden kann" translated is "Act as if your actions can be considered a universal law" presented not only a personal challenge but a political challenge for 18th Century Europe and contributed to establishing the philosophical basis for the concept of the European Union which is regarded as one of the greatest peace initiatives in history.
Kant's Categorical Imperative challenge is as relevant today as when he formulated it and challenges us to consider our personal actions in the universal political and environmental context.
Following the precept of Kant's Categorical Imperative one thing we can do to stop war is to engage in intercultural dialogue to discover common ground amoung religious and ethnic groups.
An opportunity for such dialogue will be presented on February 22nd BL 1001, 1:00-3:00 in the context of my history class when Canadian born Dr. Ingrid Mattson, Professor at Hartford Theological Seminary and Preident of the North American Muslim Association, will, by video-conference, present a moderate voice advancing inter-cultural and inter-religious dialogue.
Consider this an invitation to attend.
Dr. Walter Epp