Does WAR contribute more to the advance of CIVILISATION than PEACE does?

Question:War and Peace must both occur in order for a civilization to advance. If there is an excess of either of them, society will stagnate.

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: War and Peace must both occur in order for a civilization to advance. If there is an excess of either of them, society will stagnate.

Yes. + advance in tech

well it does both nothing breeds productivity like war and nothing destroys civilization quite like it

Yes in war answers are found faster...in peace...compliance

Well, sort of. Military has the budget to invest in all kinds of things. Like computers, internet, nuclear research. I bet engineers from the middle ages were in the same position :)

War is there to create peace.

War contributes to the CHANGE in civilization more than peace does. Whether that change is an advance or a demotion depends on the circumstances, the winner, and what one defines as an "advancement". For example, many think the post-WWII atomic age was a step backward for human civilization.

up until now, I think that has been true... we are now at a stage where we are advanced enough to keep moving foward on it's own momentum at a good speed... however, war makes money as well as technology.

Jeez, you would have to define civilization for me. If you mean urban settings and labor saving devices, then yes, much herding together and technical advances in war; however, if you mean art and philosophy and music, etc. I'd have to think about it. I think those, too, advance; and perhaps the products are more vibrant and meaningful when coming out of a war culture, but it's all opinion, isn't it?

I guess you'd also have to define war, but there haven't really been any in a long time. I don't count invading and conquering countries that haven't a hope of resistance a war; and I guess the lack of advancement in any of the areas I specified proves that it isn't.

Interesting question. Usually , the technology used in wars are very advanced, Hmm. I think that you are correct.

Yes, mankind needs an environment to try these new inventions, what better place than isolated places to test them out?

Now if they can test out new aircrafts and land vehicles. THAT would be excellent. What about land vehicles that have lift ability to avoid those land mines? These military vehicles should be able to skim the surface quietly. After the war, this vehicle feature can be used to park sideways !

In a way it does. While there have been many major advances made in peacetime, there have been quite a few due to war, the threat of war, and the prevention of war. Good examples of this are rockets and the space race, as well as when the ironclads were launched, thus resulting in new shipbuilding technology leading to current ship, both military and commercial. I also remember hearing once (but am not sure of) that the concept of ambulances came about during a war (maybe WW1).

War also changes government and social structures. A good example was the Persian Spartan Greek war, currently made famous by the movie 300. While still led by a kings, the Greeks at the time were creators of democracy. Had they not fought, it is possible that the concept would not have continued from there.

Evolution proceeds from Random Mutation & Natural Selection.

Think of
Civilization as Evolution.
Peace as Random Mutation
& War as Natural Selection.

I think so. I know for a fact that it helps the economy which in turn affects a whole country

We are at the stage now where our weapons are powerful enough to cause our extinction in an all-out war like World War II.

I don't think this is progress.

Harleigh Kyson Jr.

It advances our technology, not our civilization.

I prefer to think the it is the REVOLUTION that contribute to the advancement of civilisation than either war or peace.

War is destructive and peace is seductive.

Something in between the two, say neither too aggressive nor too complacent....

ancient wars..no on average....new techno wars..maybe. i think a peaceful society will come up with tremendous solutions...like Sewden and the Netherlands and Canada...all sweet, swinging places to live.

WAR not only advance our technology.

WAR created Philosophy.

The question "what is the meaning of life?"
were asked by people who have seen too much death.