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By Philip Moore, Class of 2016
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| Philip Moore |
As a strong believer in spirituality, I have questioned the place of religion in society and on the world stage. I have seen both the positives and negatives of a religion. Religion is a driving force for service, selfless actions, and demonstrations for peace. However, it also creates a conflicting nature among states. I have always been bewildered by the use of religious fanaticism to manipulate secular states into conflict because often the means used contradict the core tenants of the religion. History provides various examples of when religion was used as a motive for war. For example, the Crusades serve as a strong example of how a leader manipulated religion to wage war to solve a political problem.
While I understand that cooperation is unfeasible with most international theory, I search for a path that allows for religion to be used as a method for international peace and stabilization. I feel like using Alexander Wendt’s constructive view of international relations, combined with perennial philosophy, would create a possible solution to many armed conflicts. Alexander Wendt posits that intersubjectivity, or shared meaning, will lead to cooperation between states. If followers of different religions understood that their religions shared common beliefs, they would be more likely to work together peacefully. Creating definitions that show a shared understanding is crucial to international peace efforts, so instead of stating that religions are diverse, we should actively reveal how the core of religions’ dogma are similar and connected. While this process would not be easy or quick, it would promote an environment that could one day lead to the development of an international deterrent to war and armed conflict.
Philip Moore is a sophomore McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville. He is pursuing majors in Economics, Finance and Political Science.