ABSTRACT
From antiquity and on through the Enlightenment, peace has been posited as a worthy end to human endeavour; indeed, as that aspect of human existence which is to be pursued by all rational beings. Modern times – the twentieth century and onwards – have seen this construct mobilized both socially and institutionally. Its unequivocally positive status has made it the rationale for discourse and action in numerous frameworks – education, media, politics and academia (among others). We thereby encounter, in our modern Western culture, the establishment of educational peace projects, teaching and learning peace programmes; journalists and writers working for peace; political movements and organizations for whom peace is both motivation and aim; and academic work devoted to the issues of peace (usually, but not always, known as ‘peace studies’).
