--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: …the war about the genocide was truly a…" description: "\"“…the war about the genocide was truly a postmodern war: a battle between those who believed that because the realities we inhabit are constructs of ou..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79f/philip-gourevitch-17484_life-and-death_the-war-about-the-genocide-was-truly-a-p_95242.jpg" --- # …the war about the genocide was truly a postmodern war: a… ![“…the war about the genocide was truly a postmodern war: a battle between those who believed that because the realities we inhabit are constructs of our imaginations, they are all equally true or false, valid or invalid, just or unjust, and those who believed that constructs of reality can—in fact…” quote by Philip Gourevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79f/philip-gourevitch-17484_life-and-death_the-war-about-the-genocide-was-truly-a-p_95242.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79f/philip-gourevitch-17484_life-and-death_the-war-about-the-genocide-was-truly-a-p_95242.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/79f/philip-gourevitch-17484_life-and-death_the-war-about-the-genocide-was-truly-a-p_95242.jpg) > ““…the war about the genocide was truly a postmodern war: a battle between those who believed that because the realities we inhabit are constructs of our imaginations, they are all equally true or false, valid or invalid, just or unjust, and those who believed that constructs of reality can—in fact, must—be judged as right or wrong, good or bad. While academic debates about the possibility of objective truth and falsehood are often rarified to the point of absurdity, Rwanda demonstrated that the question is a matter of life and death.”” [Philip Gourevitch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-gourevitch/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote argues that post‑modern relativism—seeing all narratives as equally valid—fails when confronted with genocidal realities, where judgments of right and wrong become matters of survival. **In simple terms:** Relativism collapses in the face of genocide. Key Takeaway Objective moral judgments matter in extreme violence. Themes post‑modernism relativism genocide ethical truth political philosophy Mood somber urgent critical Type philosophical political reflective When to use this quote - humanitarian intervention debates - court trials for war crimes - educational curricula on history Key Concepts construction of reality moral objectivity Practical Applications - Policy frameworks that prioritize factual accountability - Media reporting that distinguishes opinion from verified atrocity Questions to Reflect On - How can societies balance respect for cultural narratives with the need to condemn atrocities? - What criteria should determine when a truth claim becomes a moral imperative? A Different Perspective Some argue that even factual accounts are filtered through cultural lenses, complicating claims of pure objectivity. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absurdity Rwanda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absurdity-rwanda-1172457/) [Constructs Reality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/constructs-reality-616117/) [Genocide Truly](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/genocide-truly-1172456/) [Life and death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-and-death/) [Matter Of Life And Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/matter-of-life-and-death/) [Objective truth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/objective-truth/) [Postmodern War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/postmodern-war-1172454/) [Right or wrong](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/right-or-wrong/) [True or false](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/true-or-false/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Genocide](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-genocide-1172455/) ## Related quotes > [Unless people can see broad vistas of unused resources in front of them, the belief in limited resources tends to follow as a matter…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-zubrin/unless-people-can-see-broad-vistas-of-unused-resources-in-front-of/) [Robert Zubrin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-zubrin/) > [“at that instant i knew there was no horror the world could offer - no war, no genocide, no famine, no childhood cancer -…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-harris/at-that-instant-i-knew-there-was-no-horror-the-world-could-offer-no/) [Robert Harris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-harris/) > [I think what happens normally in a narrative film is that the camera constructs the reality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sam-seder/i-think-what-happens-normally-in-a-narrative-film-is-that-the-camera/) [Sam Seder](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sam-seder/) > [When an actor constructs reality, it has to be riveting and entertaining. 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