Thinking about the war from Orient to West. Between light and shadow, from dream to vigil

Abstract

We   think   the   concept   of   just   war   is   a   purely   Western

concept,   so   in   this   communication   we   try   to   trace   their

origin.   That’s   the   reason   we   compare   the   western   way   of

thinking   about   war   with   the   Oriental   way,   and   more

specifically  with  the  Japanese  cultural  context  (but  the  kind

of  Japanese  culture  that  tends  to  identify  itself  with  Chinese

culture).  We  use  three  main  sources:  military  text  (Hagakure,

the  Way  of  the  Samurai),  an  aesthetic  text  (In  Praise  of  Shadows)

and   a   religious   treatise   (from   Zen   Buddhism).   Throughout

our   work   appear   irreconcilable   differences   between   the

Western   and   Eastern   scheme   of   thinking   the   war;

incompatibilities   around   a   set   of   concepts   and   metaphors:

event   and   transcendence,   dream   and   vigil,   light   and

shadow,   nature   and   State.   Understanding   these   concepts

explained   in   conclusion,   why   we   can’t   find   such   a   concept

like  just  war  outside  of  the  West.