“In general, men judge more by sight than by touch. Everyone sees what is happening but not everyone feels its consequences – Niccolò Machiavelli.” (Machiavelli, 1994, 55)
The consecutive process of the subjugation, suppression and imposition of new authority over a populace is a resilient narrative chronicled strenuously by historians through time. The process of the dismantling of nation-states, national identities and belief systems has been a part of warfare since its inception (Tzu, 2012). Within that context, the human ear emerges as a uniquely susceptible target to exploit as “…you can’t close it, you can’t choose what it hears, and the sounds that reach it can profoundly alter your psychological or physical state” (Volcler, 2013, 1). Consequently, sound has been viewed as a potential element of waging war since its point of genesis; with developments in technology advancing its use in differentiating methods over time. Leaving its ascendancy in the significance of its use for determination. The exploitation of the human ear as the means for attaining, preserving and advancing authority can be seen in instances of militaristic actions, the suppression of protests and dissent, its use in torture and through to its use as a method of imposing societal and cultural changes in national identity. It is within this framework and
central themes, that this dissertation will attempt to evaluate the ensuing inquiry:
“Armed Sound: An evaluation of the extent to which sound has been used as an element of waging war through subjugation, suppression and imposition.”
This evaluation will be constructed on the understanding and comprehensive analysis of secondary sources. It will aim to ascertain the role that sound played in the efforts of waging war; as well as to delineate and highlight its magnitude of importance within those efforts. The use of secondary sources within this dissertation’s field of study is most appropriate as it provides both the foundational information essential to carry out an analysis of the events while also drawing upon the academic expertise of individuals pertinent to the discussed field (Creswell and Creswell, 2023). This means that both the events in themselves can be used to explain how sound is used in warfare but also to draw inferences for analysis from the events and academic opinions to determine the extent of sound’s significance. Due to the nature of the question, the feasibility of conducting primary research on either past events or the current conflict-affected areas is inherently limited. It is important to note that in this context, the opinions of academics surpass any effort that I could undertake in terms of experience, reliability and scholarly value (Creswell and Creswell, 2023, 10). As these secondary sources can provide the essential information required to explore the intricacies of the topic at hand, primary research is not resolutely necessary.
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