Park on the social sciences and the consequences of war

Abstract

Robert Park’s response to the First World War can only be understood by considering his body of work extending from before the outbreak of that war to publications written near the end of his life. Park and his son Edward had contemplated writing a book on the nature of war, but it never came to fruition. His wrote sparingly and unsystematically—but insightfully—on the topic. His first publication on the topic appeared in a 1900 journalistic article on “The German Army: The Most Perfect Military Organization in the World.” In it, he pointed to the uniquely destructive potential of modern warfare. In a second article he speculated about the impact of the First World War on the social sciences and in a third he explored the impact—potential and real—of the First World War on immigrant communities in the United States. During the Second World War, Park published an article on “The Social Function of War: Observations and Notes” that serves as his most systematic effort at articulating a theory of war. His final publication, refracted through the Nazi idea of the master race, explored the potential for racial ideologies to foster racial conflict and violence in the future.