North Korea’s underground nuclear
The current event that I would like to analyze concerns North Korea’s underground nuclear test from 25 May 2009, and in order to do this I will apply the Socratic Method as well as philosophical discourse. The Socratic Method is a technique applied in the analysis of any statement that asks the question “What is X? ” of a certain concept and which, through use of dialectic, investigates the concept in order to come closer to its true definition. In similar fashion, philosophical discourse raises questions concerning assertions in order to assess their truth value.
Both of these methods prove significant for analyzing current events insofar as they try to uncover different sides of a story and make clearer the importance of an event and its impact on the people it affects. In this respect, philosophical categories prove to be important tools to help understand and interpret current events. In the article “Defying World Powers, N. Korea Conducts Nuke Test”, philosophy can help us analyze why North Korea launched a nuclear test despite the warnings of other nations (Lee, 2009).
Using philosophical discourse, or rather critical thinking, and the Socratic method of investigation, we can come up with a simple thesis: North Korea wishes to use nuclear power in order to terrorize its enemies. Surely, this action of the communist country has alarmed other nations and caused them to fear for the safety of the world. As a consequence, many people have jumped to the conclusion that North Korea has plans to use nuclear power so as to assert its presence among other major players on the global stage.
By using the Socratic Method, we can then break this thesis down into more specific points. One point we may recognize is that nuclear power could entail military supremacy for the rogue communist state. North Korea does not have a reputation for nicety, and it is not on good terms with neighboring South Korea. If it obtains nuclear capabilities, North Korea could easily eliminate any enemies it has incurred in the past years.
Another aspect that we could consider is that the quest for nuclear weapons could spark a global outrage, and lead to an unfortunate arm’s race in which other countries would likewise rush to become nuclear. This would likely take warfare and military interventions to extreme levels (Charbonneau, 2009), which, in turn, would leave many people fearing for the possibility of a coming Hiroshima. If we continue with the Socratic Method, we could argue that obtaining nuclear weapons does not necessarily mean evil intentions or selfish gains by North Korea.
A proof of this is the fact that the United States has its own nuclear program, but neither acts nor is treated like an outlaw (Alexander, 2009). Because of this ambiguity, it is difficult to judge North Korea’s intentions; however, if we compare North Korea with the United States, the chances of North Korea using their nuclear capabilities toward beneficial ends are slim. These series of arguments show us that North Korea’s intentions in the nuclear tests are not clear, and there could be a host of differing intentions behind their actions.
It is not right to judge them the country quickly because of its tests. By applying philosophical discourse and the Socratic Method we have been able to take apart this current event and see it from differing angles. As such, we should not be biased in our interpretation of the event, especially if we do not know all of the facts concerning it. Likewise, it is crucial that we continue to uphold the relationship between current events and philosophy because philosophy allows us learn more about any specific event and to attempt to understand it in greater depth.
North Korea’s underground nuclear test were generally perceived as negative, with many people jumping to the conclusion that North Korea would use its nuclear capabilities to harm other countries or assert their superiority. However, it is hard to claim this as the truth, especially if we do not have sufficient information. With the help of philosophy, through philosophical discourse and the Socratic Method, we are able to see different angles of this story such that judging North Korea’s actions is no longer as simple as we may have once thought.
References: Alexander, D. (2009). Obama says North Korea nuclear test a `grave concern`. Retrieved May 26, 2009, from http://www. essaywriters. net/sys/index. php? rate=20&order=289778 Charbonneau, L. (2009). U. N. council condemns North Korea nuclear test. Retrieved May 26, 2009, from http://www. reuters. com/article/newsOne/idUSSEO14165620090525 Lee, J. H. (2009). Defying world powers, N. Korea conducts nuke test. Retrieved May 26, 2009, from http://news. yahoo. com/s/ap/20090525/ap_on_re_as/as_koreas_nuclear
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