entire book - Chris Hables Gray

War and Peace 2000 [ 261 ]
In one of Foucault's last interviews, he used a metaphor for seeking truth
that corresponds to the process that most activist peace groups use in their
decision making. They call it "consensus" and it is based on traditions such
as Quaker meetings and women's Consciousness-raising groups. Foucault calls
it "dialogic." The basic elements of both are the same: the refusal of the
"enemy" dualism, the insistence on mutual rights, and the acceptance of
limited "difficult" truths instead of allegiance to a "just cause" (Foucault,
1984, pp. 381-382). This begins by recognizing that there are no sources of
unmediated truth. Both war and peace can be labeled natural, but what is
important is that either is possible. In choosing, the value of living human
bodies specifically and the living environment in general should be weighed
against ideological and personal furies. And this judgment must be by
everyone, not just the elite individuals and institutions that dominate
contemporary societies.
It is a matter of survival. The Sarajevos of 1914, 1944, and 1995 should
never be repeated. War is very strong. We must be stronger.