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fandomhigh2006-09-28 11:00 am
harringtongreen.livejournal.com) wrote in fandomhigh2006-09-28 11:00 am
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War Theory, Thursday, 4th period
Honor was in her usual position at the front of the classroom, leant against the front of the desk, arms folded across her chest, with Nimitz looking out from the perch on her shoulder. The usual assortment of hot chocolate, coffee, water, and whatever else Mac saw fit to drag in waited by the sign-in sheet just inside the door.
As time for the class approached, the admiral glanced up at the clock and rubbed the tip of her nose. She regarded the students with a smile. "Thirty second warning: wrap up any asides and pull out your notes from last week."
Honor waited a few more minutes, then launched into her lecture. "So far," she began, walking to the board, "we've discussed our own views of warfare, and some historical perspectives on war theory, as presented by Thucydides in his history of the Peleponnesian War." She picked up a marker, drawing a relatively straight line, marking BC at one end, "0" in the middle, and CE at the opposite end. She added a point between BC and "0", which she labeled "Thucydides."
"Today," she continued, "we're going to discuss some of the ideas about war theory published by Sun Tzu, right about...here." Honor marked a place just shy of the one she had made for Thucydides, then made two more marks on the line, these toward the "CE" marking at the end of the line. "They were both translated about a hundred-and-fifty years apart - Thucydides in 1648 by Thomas Hobbes, and Sun Tzu in 1782 by the Jesuit Order.
"In chapter one, Sun Tzu focused on five constant factors in warfare: Moral Law; Heaven; Earth; Commander; and Method and Discipline." She paused, turning to the students. "The first - Moral Law - is a bit different than the 'moral law' we might discuss today, and our primary interest in this course. Does anyone have any ideas as to how it might differ?"
Once the discussion seemed to draw to a close, she built upon the previous discussion. "So when we turn to Sun Tzu's definition of a fit commander, we apply those same principles, drawing on Chinese virtures: benevolence; uprightness of mind; self-respect or self-control, sometimes referred to in the text as 'proper feeling'; wisdom; and sincerity or good faith. If you look closely, however, Master Sun has replaced 'uprightness of mind' and 'self-respect' with two military attributes -- 'courage' and 'strictness.' Why would these traits be important in conducting warfare? Would you say these are in competition with any of the others?" She paused. "Can you draw any parallels between the ideas presented by Thucydides and Sun Tzu?"
Honor moved back toward the front of the room as the discussion began. She resumed her place at the front of the room, leaning back against the desk. Nimitz hopped down and glanced up at her. Through their link, she could sense his confusion with the "two legs" and their ways of warfare, but he said nothing. It was a discussion they could definitely continue later, when they were at home, and Honor didn't need to translate for a classroom full of teenagers. She ruffled his fur playfully in a brief pause, then glanced at the clock. It was almost time to leave.
"We'll wrap up early today," she said, pursing her lips. "Next week, we'll be discussing medieval ideas of just war theory - ideas that still form the basis of Western tradition in current times - yours and mine." She smiled. "Make sure you review Secunda Secundae Partis of the Summa Theologica, with particular attention to question forty.
"Dismissed."
[Posting by e-mail today, as a way to get around the firewall. If the first person to sign-in, as well as respond to the discussion questions (in bold) would start the threads, I would appreciate it. For the sign-in, please make sure you use the "Reply" function so the thread collapses. Hopefully, I’ll have better access next week. Thanks!]
As time for the class approached, the admiral glanced up at the clock and rubbed the tip of her nose. She regarded the students with a smile. "Thirty second warning: wrap up any asides and pull out your notes from last week."
Honor waited a few more minutes, then launched into her lecture. "So far," she began, walking to the board, "we've discussed our own views of warfare, and some historical perspectives on war theory, as presented by Thucydides in his history of the Peleponnesian War." She picked up a marker, drawing a relatively straight line, marking BC at one end, "0" in the middle, and CE at the opposite end. She added a point between BC and "0", which she labeled "Thucydides."
"Today," she continued, "we're going to discuss some of the ideas about war theory published by Sun Tzu, right about...here." Honor marked a place just shy of the one she had made for Thucydides, then made two more marks on the line, these toward the "CE" marking at the end of the line. "They were both translated about a hundred-and-fifty years apart - Thucydides in 1648 by Thomas Hobbes, and Sun Tzu in 1782 by the Jesuit Order.
"In chapter one, Sun Tzu focused on five constant factors in warfare: Moral Law; Heaven; Earth; Commander; and Method and Discipline." She paused, turning to the students. "The first - Moral Law - is a bit different than the 'moral law' we might discuss today, and our primary interest in this course. Does anyone have any ideas as to how it might differ?"
Once the discussion seemed to draw to a close, she built upon the previous discussion. "So when we turn to Sun Tzu's definition of a fit commander, we apply those same principles, drawing on Chinese virtures: benevolence; uprightness of mind; self-respect or self-control, sometimes referred to in the text as 'proper feeling'; wisdom; and sincerity or good faith. If you look closely, however, Master Sun has replaced 'uprightness of mind' and 'self-respect' with two military attributes -- 'courage' and 'strictness.' Why would these traits be important in conducting warfare? Would you say these are in competition with any of the others?" She paused. "Can you draw any parallels between the ideas presented by Thucydides and Sun Tzu?"
Honor moved back toward the front of the room as the discussion began. She resumed her place at the front of the room, leaning back against the desk. Nimitz hopped down and glanced up at her. Through their link, she could sense his confusion with the "two legs" and their ways of warfare, but he said nothing. It was a discussion they could definitely continue later, when they were at home, and Honor didn't need to translate for a classroom full of teenagers. She ruffled his fur playfully in a brief pause, then glanced at the clock. It was almost time to leave.
"We'll wrap up early today," she said, pursing her lips. "Next week, we'll be discussing medieval ideas of just war theory - ideas that still form the basis of Western tradition in current times - yours and mine." She smiled. "Make sure you review Secunda Secundae Partis of the Summa Theologica, with particular attention to question forty.
"Dismissed."
[Posting by e-mail today, as a way to get around the firewall. If the first person to sign-in, as well as respond to the discussion questions (in bold) would start the threads, I would appreciate it. For the sign-in, please make sure you use the "Reply" function so the thread collapses. Hopefully, I’ll have better access next week. Thanks!]
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