Randolph Silliman Bourne (1886–1918)

This important volume includes Bourne's landmark article, "War is the Health of the State." This is part of a larger article, called "The State," which was left unfinished at the time of Bourne's death in 1918. (He died shortly after the Armistice, in the flu epidemic, at the pitifully young age of 32.) It was Bourne who not only distinguished between one's country and the State (nation-state), but connected the State intimately with the drumbeat of war.

He said:

"War is the health of the show more state. It automatically sets in motion throughout society those irresistable forces for uniformity, for passionate cooperation with the Government in coercing into obedience the minority groups and individuals which lack the larger herd sense...the nation in war-time attains a uniformity of feeling, a hierarchy of values culminating at the undisputed apex of the State ideal, which could not possibly be produced through any other agency than war...The State is intimately connected with war, for it is the organization of the collective community when it acts in a political manner; and to act in a political manner towards a rival group has meant, throughout all history - war..."

Bourne follows this with a cogent argument that is several pages long. Since it's in the public domain, you can also read this article online, for example at: http://struggle.ws/hist_texts/warhealthstate1918.html. show less

So much of his analysis about WWI resembles the past decade. It is truly uncanny!

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