the rationality of war

Question 1

Aristoteles approach

Answer 1

Human nature is violence, so societies are violent too

Question 2

Plato, Hobbes, and Rousseau

Answer 2

Society as social construct. Uthopic perpetual peace with interim periods of war

Question 3

Clausewitz

Answer 3

War as a political tool. The level of violence includes economic and social considerations as checks and balances.

Question 4

Main difference, Hobbs & Platonic

Answer 4

Hobbs: will create the community to protect ourself to protect from anarchy.
Platonic: create society and rule of law (social contract) to prevent wars.

Question 5

Clausewitz defines 3 elements that are always present in war

Answer 5

• the use of Violence, and the origin of conflict
• causality as a number of variables leading on the conflict
• as political tool

Question 6

Who was Clausewitz

Answer 6

Entered the military academy at a age of 12

Fought in the napoleonic wars, Prussian commander

Question 7

Clausewitz most famous saying

Answer 7

the continuation of politics (policy) by other means.

Question 8

Fluid definition of war

Answer 8

• The war is an act of force to reach the opponent (the enemy).

Question 9

war - classic definition

Answer 9

it is the armed fighting between two or more parties, subjects of International Law, as a continuation of politics.

Question 10

Jus (ius) ad Bellum

Answer 10

• refer to all those conditions that states have to comply with and to resort to/ use for force on international society.
  • Moral restrains, conditions they have to comply with, in order for the war to be legal and legitimate
  • conditions

Question 11

Jus (ius) in Bello

Answer 11

• regulate the conduct/ behavior in the different parts engaged in an armed conflict.
  • Regulate how war takes place (behavior of the participants)
  • Related to just war - much more related to the behavior of soldiers (what targets should be avoided etc, treatment of prisoner of war) much more operational than jus ad bellum

Question 12

Just war -

Answer 12

coined by Saint Augustin (related to the fall of the roman empire). Revised by Saint Thomas of Aquinas.
• Saint Thomas of Aquinas - one of the most promising philosophers in the 13th century.
• The study of war will be different form the point of view form the church.
• Have an impact on the cause of war, proportionality of war and terminality of war.
• Present today, basic rule of the prohibition of war

Question 13

Just cause -

Answer 13

will take place in self defense aggression, once its developed collective defense (NATO) is considered just cause, its self defense form members of the community.

Question 14

Total warfare

Answer 14

• Eric Ludendorff (German general, WWI):

Adjustment of Clausewitz theory. It includes elements as demography and technology. War is not any more the continuation of politics, but politics are a continuation of war (politics are the aftermath of the war).

Question 15

Absolute Warfare

Answer 15

conflict of great national interests solved through the spilling of blood. Classical definition of military victory: annihilation of the enemy or its capabilities to continue the fighting.