Are War and International Conflict Inevitable Features of Global Politics?

So long as there are sovereign nations possessing great power, war is inevitable. The large number of nuclear weapons scattered around the globe does support this argument, as does the features discussed in this essay; human nature, the Security Dilemma, rationality and modernity. However, if we define war as outright conflict, it is true that there are sufficient deterrents preventing the certain outbreak of violence that are distinctly more effective than they are optimistic.

Realists would argue that war is inevitable simply because of human nature and humans high capacity for anger. From a socio-biological perspective this violent nature could impact on how we execute international relations. We can also say that war is inevitable from a psychological perspective. Many psychologists theorise that human aggression can develop into frustration, aimed at something we are unable to solve or obtain. This is apparent in World War II; a result of Nazi aggression and the frustration of failure in World War. Human nature is also inherently conflictual, and natural differences of opinion could escalate into war. Many countries have polar opinions on issues, evidenced in the dispute over the ownership of the Falkland islands. Of course, it is not just about violence. Morgenthau states that the ‘selfishness of man has limits. His need for power has none’. We can theorise from this that war is inevitable due to man’s natural need to dominate others, success in conflict being perhaps the easiest way to achieve subordination. However, human nature is not the one and only factor in decisions to declare war. Most political leaders are less influenced by instinct, but more by political and economic gains, and though anger and disagreements may be inevitable, the existence of treaties and compassion negate the notion that human nature causes war to be inevitable. For this argument to be true, the human race would be living in a constant state of armed combat.

The Security...