Enemies and Friends: Peace and Conflicts in the Modern Era

Abstract

As Charles Dickens said in his masterpiece A Tale of Two Cities, it was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the season of light, it was the season of darkness. Indeed, living in the modern era, the era of uncertainty, although human beings have experienced challenges brought about by alliances and conflicts among different nations. Humans seem only to bemoan the disastrous consequences of wars and regional conflicts; meanwhile they gloat at the sight of peace while bragging about the illusions of a bright future. Overall, human beings are somehow blinded only by appearances of peace and conflicts among different nations, instead of recognizing the essence of conflicts or utilizing specialized theories to analyze them. The aim of this study is to analyze and evaluate the alliances and conflicts within modern history by using Carl Schmitt's political theories, hoping to avoid those bumpy paths human beings have witnessed and instead lead to the path of peace and prosperity. Specifically, this study used Carl Schmitt's political theories to analyze 1) Conflicts between social classes, 2) Peace and Conflicts between different ethnic groups, 3) Peace and conflicts between China and United States economically in the expectation of creating a better future for mankind.