Page 26 - Age of Peace Goodword.indd

The Age of De-monopolization

modern age of intellectual freedom made possible the de-
monopolization of religious dogmatism. The emergence of
modern science led to the de-monopolization of ideological
regimentation.
It is this phenomenon that the British writer J.F. West
1
has rightly called a great intellectual revolution. The de-
centralization of all kinds of monopolies was bound to lead to
a culture of peace. After de-monopolization, everything has
come within everyone’s reach, so that there is no question of
having to indulge in violence to gain one’s ends.

In previous ages, the choices were apparently very limited. It
was this state of affairs that produced the culture of monopoly.
Human beings were then divided into two groups: the haves
and the have-nots. This division of people was bound to create
a clash of interests between different groups. This was the
main reason why people of the previous ages were frequently
engaged in war and violence.

The de-monopolization of resources in the modern age is
a great blessing, as it has made the violent method totally
irrelevant. Now by peaceful methods, everything can be
attained on a much greater scale

Modern civilization has virtually de-centralized all the
opportunities of life. It has become possible for everyone to
be free to achieve what he or she wants to achieve in the field
of his or her choice. Then, why do we see that, even after the
emergence of our modern civilization, the war culture has
persisted in some quarters? The reason is unawareness of this
change in history.
For example, if an individual wants to have political power,
he does not need to wage war. In ancient times, a change in
government could be brought about only by fighting and

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