Sylabus
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Anotace
“Guns don’t kill people, people do,” an NRA member would say in defence of the Second Amendment. Although we may doubt about the relevancy of this saying in the gun control debate, it is somewhat difficult to deny its plausibility. Moreover, plausible it remains if we apply these words in the history of warfare. Until present days it has always been people who thrust a sword, shoot an arrow, pull a trigger, release bombs or launch a guided missile. Weapons and military technology, in general, have always had a tremendous effect on the human ability to fight wars and kill other people. Nonetheless, is it only people who act in this story?
For man is not endowed with natural means of killing, artificial tools became a necessary condition for the first human war to emerge and technological progress continues to be among the most significant factors shaping the face of warfare. How war is transformed by changing technologies is thus one of the central questions this course is concerned with. However, it is not only war what is shaped by the progress in military technology. The changes in military technology have also been closely related to the social and political transformations. The historical narrative about the state and modern civilisation would be only half-done if the development of war-related instruments was not included.
Especially the modern history of humanity is a dramatic story of dealing with scientific and technological progress in general and ever-changing military technology in particular. It is another objective of this course to examine whether people and their states are naturally forced to participate in the so-called “Red Queen’s race”, or whether cultural factors determine their striving for new technologies or regulation and management of technological progress be well within the human powers. Closely related to the last point is the issue of ethics in technological development in general and in the use of technology in the war in particular.
Participation in the course should bring and strengthen understanding of technological factors in warfare, military organisations and defence policies. Students should gain the ability to analyse and assess arguments concerning military technology critically.
Making substantiated and convincing arguments is a particular skill that the seminar activities aim to train and cultivate.