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Chapter 11: The Course of 'Intelligent Warfare.'Do we have a contradiction here? Is there such a thing possible as: Intelligent warfare? History teaches us that the phrase does not present a contradiction in language as such wars have been fought throughout the ages and have powerfully altered the course of humanity. One of the most profound examples of this type of warfare can be found in the Greek Classical period from app. 600 BC onward. It was begun by a single man, a poet named Homer. The war was fought in Greece. This poet's work was an act of war. Homer's efforts are recognized today as the cradle of the Greek classical period. He is honored as the man who laid the foundation for that remarkable civilization that unfolded during this period. Rarely is he honored, however, as a man of war. Still, the evidence suggests that his work was done within the context of fighting a war. The object of Homer's efforts, by all evidence, was to keep the Persian Empire from dominating his people. The collection of primitive mountain tribes that were scattered across the Greek landscape, lacked the resources and determination to wage a conventional war on the battle field against the might of the Empire. So, it was not an ordinary war that Homer fought. He fought a type of war that is more fundamental and is aimed at a victory that could never be won on the battle field. He fought with a pen that inspired people to examine the axioms that are commonly accepted. He inspired the people to test the axioms that controlled them. He inspired them to test their believes for elements of truth and underlying principles. Homer evidently understood that he faced a dramatic uphill battle before he could reach his goal. Even the very language of his people, on which ground this war was to be fought and won, was too narrow, too primitive, and rather limited for dealing with such complex issues as are involved in raising the civilization of a society. His first task, evidently, was to develop a higher form of language out of the background of the language that was commonly used. He had to create this language literally from the ground up, and then popularize it in a manner by which complex ideas could be contemplated that must be contemplated if his people are to deal with the prevailing mysticisms that the ruling elite of the empires had employed as a means for keeping the people subjective to their rule. In this type of 'warfare,' Homer excelled. His works, the "Iliad" and "Odyssey" are epic poems of a well developed language. The poems were articulated frequently in official performances at festivals, etc.. They became part of the people's national identity. With these poems Homer had dramatically raised the literacy of the entire population. Not only had he created a new language in which people could think, he had also opened the mental horizon of the people to the degree that this new language came into common use. And still, he did more than just that. He used this beautifully expanded language as a vehicle to carry forward the all-important critical exploration of the people's axioms that were rooted in magic and mysticism which had dominated the thinking of his people for centuries. He set up new horizons for them, by introducing scientifically founded axioms that are related to reality. Homer's purpose was to give his people of a primitive mountain culture a language with which he could begin the vital journey of discovery that would eventually enable them to establish their political freedom. Language has always been an essential tool for anyone who wishes to explore the validity of the prevailing assumptions that people entertain about their world. It is an essential tool for anyone who hopes to recognize how actions and policies must be determined to shape future events in a productive and elevating manner. This is what Homer had evidently realized. In a sense, he turned the entire time line oriented thinking upside down by introducing a capability that enabled the people to cause their vision of the future shape their present imperatives, by which they would be able to alter the future that had not yet occurred. The perception of future events as the logic consequence of action can be a powerful moderator that reshapes the axioms by which policies are set. By this process the future can, literally, be created. || - page index - || - chapter index - || - Exit - ||
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