Pacifist professor who said his wartime experience was 'boring' dies aged 93

[rug]

Cambridge don said he killed no one during the war - and no one tried to kill him



Professor Robert Hinde, Cambridge News photo

BYCHRIS ELLIOTT
13:00, 5 JAN 2017

Prof Robert Hinde, Emeritus Royal Society Research Professor in Cambridge University’s Department of Zoology, and a Fellow and former Master of St John's, was 93.

- snip -

“Prof Hinde was also both a humanist and a pacifist - outlooks which were formed in equal measure by his scholarly and wider life experiences. His research led him to study religion from an evolutionary point of view and to attempt to explain the ubiquity of religious systems, and the similarities and differences between the moral codes of different cultures.

“He described his wartime service as a ‘boring tale’ in which ‘I am glad to say that I did not kill anyone and no-one specifically tried to kill me’; yet the experience of the Second World War dramatically shaped his perspective on international affairs and events. The mass human suffering that the war caused, and in particular the loss of both his brother John and another close friend, made him a committed member of anti-war groups dedicated to guaranteeing peace.

“As well as writing extensively on the topic, notably in War No More in 2003, Prof Hinde was chair and president of the British Pugwash Group and president of the Movement for the Abolition of War. In a memoir published shortly before his death, he stressed the importance of denouncing the notion that armed conflict might be necessary or acceptable in certain situations: ‘Changing the popular view of war as heroic, inevitable, or a solution to disputes, must be an important strategy for peace,’ he wrote.”

http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/news/cambridge-news/pacifist-professor-who-said-wartime-12409326

[Jim__]

1. War No More - sounds like a book worth reading.

The blurb from Amazon:

Never before have so many people worried about the effects of military conflict. At a time when terrorism is opening the way for new forms of warfare worldwide, this book provides a much-needed account of the real dangers we face, and argues that the elimination of weapons of mass destruction and of war are attainable and necessary goals. Written by Nobel Peace prizewinner and former nuclear physicist Joseph Rotblat, and biologist/ psychologist Robert Hinde, War No More provides expert insight into the nature of modern warfare -- including 'weapons of mass destruction'. Examining the key factors that are believed to contribute to conflict, they explain how best to approach a peaceful future. If war is ever to be eliminated, Hinde and Rotblat argue that we must address key issues such as the gap between rich and poor; we must have fully effective arms controls; and above all we must have better education. The authors emphasize the United Nations -- as well as non-governmental organizations, religious groups, and grassroots movements -- also have important parts to play. Joseph Rotblat was involved in the creation of the first atom bomb, but left the project during the war, when it became clear that Nazi Germany was not building its own bomb. Since the end of the Second World War he has dedicated his life to campaigning against nuclear weapons and co-founded the Pugwash conferences. Robert Hinde was a pilot in World War 2, is now a Cambridge University Professor and has written extensively on war and strategies for peace.

[rug]

2. It's getting more timely.