W. B. Gallie analyzes the intellectual evolution of modern warfare through the perspectives of five historical figures: Kant, Clausewitz, Marx, Engels, and Tolstoy. He argues that the democratic era fundamentally altered how states justify organized violence and pursue peace. The text examines Kant’s vision of perpetual peace through international law, Clausewitz’s definition of war as a political instrument, and the socialist predictions of class conflict surpassing national borders. Gallie highlights the tensions between rational military strategy and the moral necessity of ending global hostilities.
This book serves students of political theory and international relations who require a systematic breakdown of the philosophical roots of modern military thought. Readers gain a technical understanding of how influential thinkers reconciled the destructive reality of combat with the idealistic goals of diplomacy and social progress. By studying these frameworks, the reader learns to identify the historical precedents for contemporary debates on state sovereignty and institutional peacekeeping. Gallie provides a clear historical map of why modern societies view war as both a political tool and a catastrophe.
Deep, outward-looking, contemplative and open-ended; a demanding read.
Best for readers like The Deep Diver. Which reader are you?
- Published
- 1980
- Language
- EN
