Parenting, War, and Economics

This comes from a fascinating book on just-war theory entitled War, Peace, and Christianity:Questions and Answers from a Just-War Perspective. The authors organize the book around 104 questions about just-war from the perspectives of history, theology, philosophy, and the experience of combatants and non-combatants. This question deals with whether or not the threat of war or military-preparedness can actually deter war. What I found fascinating was how they talked about economists, parents, and human nature.

Q 85: Does deterrence work?

At the academic level, this is a question that generates no little controversy and disagreement. At the practical level, by comparison, the matter of deterrence is relatively noncontroversial. The reason for this discrepancy would seem to have more to do with one's assumptions about human nature than with war and peace per se. If you talk to social scientists, for example, you'll find that most, though by no means all, of them believe that deterrence has little effect on human behavior. And there is a reason for this conclusion. Those who are skeptical generally have a more secular and optimistic understanding of human nature: humans, it is generally believed, are basically good rather than inherently flawed. As a corollary of that view, punishment is thought to be injurious to a person's psyche.  

Most economists, by contrast, answer the question 'Does deterrence work?' in the affirmative. They observe the wide range of human activity in the realm of economics, business, and finance. Here, alas, humans are remarkably predictable and act accordingly. When handling money, material goods, and services, they operate as if there is some law--or cluster of laws--that directs them. While economists are not necessarily more religious than social scientists, their view of human nature is much more inclined to a moral realism with regard to human behavioral patterns. In their projection of future market trends, coupled with their estimation of human psychology and behavior motivation, they are characterized by a realistic understanding of human behavior...

Does punishment deter? While many social scientists are inclined to say it does not, most parents, regardless of religious belief, will say without hesitation that it does deter. In fact, in all likelihood they will automatically attempt to implement 'the law of deterrence' with their own children, whether consciously or unconsciously. As seen through the lens of parental control, the only case in which punishment--that is, pain or deprivation--does not deter is the child who has never known moral restrictions. For that individual, few things in this life will inhibit evildoing. And, of course, that child will end up being a 'menace to society,' and society will need protection from that individual...

The difference between a social scientist's understanding of human nature and that of the economist might be summarized as follows: the latter is guided by a moral realism, while the former operates on the assumption of moral positivism. It is noteworthy that most--though certainly not all--parents tend, at least in their own homes, to be 'economists' and not 'social scientists.' The same can be said for law-enforcement officers, and for good reasons."

--J. Daryl Charles and Timothy J. Demy, War, Peace, and Christianity:Questions and Answers from a Just-War Perspective, http://www.amazon.com/War-Peace-Christianity-Questions-Perspective/dp/1433513838/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1327115234&sr=1-1