How should we educate for peace? In asking that question, I do not mean to confine the discussion to work done in our schools. We are educated more broadly by the culture and subcultures in which we live. Many cultures, perhaps most of those in highly developed nations, are overtly or subtly militaristic. Their histories are organized around wars, and the virtues highly admired are often explicitly or derivatively those of the warrior. Forces in the larger culture make it difficult for schools to pursue the aim of educating for peace.

This book is an attempt to identify and deliberate on topics that should be addressed if we are serious about educating for peace. Perhaps it is more accurate to say that the book is about educating for peace and for war – that is, it is a discussion of what citizens should know about war and peace. The hope is that such an education will encourage more people to oppose war but, even if that does not happen, debate on the topic should be better informed.