Quote #47

What is the 'Great Illusion' which Norman Angell wishes to explode? In few - and therefore insufficient - words, it is this: war is a quite inadequate method for solving international disputes; war does not carry any advantage, not even to the victors, least of all any economic advantage.

More from Norman Angell

  1. In 1909, he published a little book of some hundred pages, Europe's Optical Illusion, and he awoke one morning to find himself famous.
  2. The Great Illusion in its turn created certain illusions in those who read the book superficially (or who only heard about it). Because Nor…
  3. Angell argued that in a modern economy no economic benefit could be generated even by successful wars of conquest... Angell's argument show…
  4. The final chapter of The Great Illusion presents a convincing plea for a change in foreign policy from that of a war policy to one of inter…
  5. The root of the problem is very simply stated: if there were no sovereign independent states, if the states of the civilized world were org…
  6. Norman Angell speaks to the intellect. He is cool and clear. He has a profound belief in reason and in rationalism. He is convinced that at…
  7. Political nationalism has become for our age the most important thing in the world, more important than civilization, humanity, decency, ki…
  8. He has a profound and warm belief in what he calls in one of his books 'the potential rationalism of mankind'. Let us hope that his optimis…

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