Perpetual Peace: A Philosophical Essay

Perpetual peace refers to a state of affairs where peace is permanently established over a certain area (ideally, the whole world - see world peace). Many would-be world conquerors have promised that their rule would enforce perpetual peace. No empire has ever extended its authority over the entire world, and thus nothing can be said about the ability of a universal empire to ensure world peace, but several large empires have maintained relative peace in their spheres of influence over extended periods of time. A typical example is that of the Roman Empire (see Pax Romana). However their rule wasn't without serious incidents (for example: Jewish Revolt). Whether such imperial peace is actually good or desirable is another question entirely. In addition, no imperial peace has been permanent, because no empire has lasted forever.