In this blog post, we explore how devastating wars have influenced human progress through technological advancement and spiritual growth.
What is war? Although the meaning of war has changed significantly in modern times, most people still think of “fighting” when they hear the word “war.” However, we do not call fights between friends or between siblings “war.” I believe two key concepts are necessary to define the word “war”: “power” and “survival.” In other words, war can be defined as a conflict in which two or more powers stake their survival and pour all their resources into the fight.
So, can we say that war has had a positive impact on humanity, particularly on human progress? I believe so. The reasons for this can be broadly divided into two categories. The first is human progress driven by technological advancement. The factions involved in war had to mobilize every possible means to ensure their “survival.” These desperate efforts naturally led to technological advancements, many of which have had a profound impact on humanity. The second is human progress driven by spiritual development. While humanity faced frustration due to the horrific consequences of war, the efforts to restore damaged values and the resulting reflection provided humanity with valuable lessons. Let’s examine this through a specific example.
During World War II, the German U-boats inflicted massive damage on the Allied forces. German submarines remained completely hidden beneath the sea until Allied ships appeared, at which point they would attack and sink them. The Allies were powerless to stop them. The main reason it was so difficult to defend against German submarine attacks was that they used the world’s most sophisticated and complex wireless encryption system. This cipher system was called “Enigma.” Enigma was a cipher machine operated like a typewriter, and the name also refers to the cipher system itself. After desperately securing an Enigma machine, the Allies formed an Enigma decryption team to decipher Axis operations. One of them was Alan Turing, who is today known as the father of computer science. Just before being recruited to the code-breaking team, Turing was researching the “Turing machine,” the first theoretical computing machine. He further developed the Turing machine he had been studying and made a significant contribution to decoding the Enigma, which had countless possible combinations. This led to rapid advancements in the field of mechanical computation, and computer science developed alongside it. Considering the contributions computer science has made to various fields, including telecommunications, this can be seen as a prime example of how technology has significantly advanced humanity.
The atomic bomb, which played a decisive role in the Allied victory in World War II, is another example of human progress driven by technological advancement. At the time, the Axis powers, led by Germany, and the Allies, led by the United States, devoted immense effort to developing the atomic bomb faster than their opponents. Two stages were necessary to create an atomic bomb. The first was extracting or producing fissile material, the key component of the atomic bomb, and the second was using that fissile material to manufacture the bomb. The second stage was far more difficult than the first and required highly advanced technology. This was because the process of investigating how fissile materials interact under specific conditions to trigger a powerful chain reaction could result in explosions or radioactive leaks. The reason for continuing research despite these risks was simple: to win the war. Had it not been for the urgent circumstances of war, the Allies would not have undertaken such dangerous research. These efforts spurred the development of nuclear technology, and today, nuclear power is used as a prominent alternative energy source.
In addition to examples in computer engineering and nuclear energy technology, World War I and World War II coincided with periods of rapid scientific and technological advancement. Since distinguishing between enemy and friendly forces was crucial in warfare, radar technology developed, leading to advancements in electromagnetic wave technology for transmitting and receiving signals. Furthermore, food processing and transportation technologies advanced to address the issue of food supply, which had a significant impact on soldiers’ morale. More fighter planes and warships were needed to attack enemies and move swiftly, leading to major advancements in aviation and shipbuilding technologies. As a result, it is now possible to reach any region within a day or two. These technologies are essential in modern society, and war acted as a form of “competition” among various powers, driving technological progress.
We have examined examples of human progress driven by technological advancements. Furthermore, we can find instances where humanity has grown spiritually through war. The most readily apparent example is the spiritual growth derived from the experience of Nazi Germany. The massacres and atrocities committed by the Nazi regime against Jews at the time are well known. No matter what Germany does in the modern era, the horrific crimes they committed cannot be forgiven. However, they acknowledge their mistakes, engage in continuous reflection, and demonstrate a sense of shame regarding the actions of their ancestors. This serves as a model for other nations. What the Nazi atrocities awakened in the public was an awareness of “how terribly war can dehumanize people.” This awareness has led the public to deeply contemplate war, and today, public opinion calling for the avoidance of war has grown even stronger. Ironically, past wars have resulted in preventing modern wars.
The famous sculpture *The Burghers of Calais* is another example of how this has contributed to humanity’s spiritual development. During the Hundred Years’ War, the port city of Calais in northern France was a strategically important stronghold. The British army besieged and attacked Calais, but due to the desperate resistance of its citizens, it took nearly a year to capture the city. After the conquest, the British intended to massacre the citizens of Calais, but six citizens volunteered to sacrifice their lives to save the rest. They presented themselves before the King of England, but fortunately, their lives were spared thanks to the Queen’s intercession. The spirit of sacrifice demonstrated by these six citizen representatives served as an important lesson in awakening a sense of responsibility among society’s leaders. This example, which clearly illustrates the meaning of “noblesse oblige,” is one of the lessons humanity has learned from war.
The examples mentioned so far are merely a fraction of the lessons learned from war. It is difficult to conclude definitively that war has had a positive impact on human progress based on these alone. Furthermore, it may be somewhat naive to assume that mere technological and intellectual advancement constitutes a contribution to human progress. In modern times, there has been a rise in new types of crime that would not have existed without computer engineering, and many people are also aware of the environmental issues associated with nuclear power plants. Nevertheless, the reason I argue that humanity has progressed because of war is that war has served as a “model” for humanity. Having a model means that it points humanity in the right direction, much like having a state-of-the-art navigation system. Thanks to navigation systems, no one gets lost, and sometimes we can even find shortcuts. Although the process of war was horrific and devastating, its outcome served as a great lesson for humanity and can be said to have driven human progress.
