WAR IS NOT THE CONTINUATION OF POLICY BY OTHER MEANS. THEORETICAL REFLECTIONS ON WHAT WAR IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT
WAR IS NOT THE CONTINUATION OF POLICY BY OTHER MEANS. THEORETICAL REFLECTIONS ON WHAT WAR IS AND WHAT IT IS NOT

Summary/Abstract: This article aims to liberate the phenomenon of war from exclusively political determination to account for its broader social, economic, and psychological dimensions. The text provides an extensive, historical overview of definitions of war (from Sun Tzu and Plato to SIPRI) and subsequently illustrates how contemporary conflicts (including Mary Kaldor's "new wars") blur the lines between politics and chaos, thereby challenging Clausewitz's rational assumptions. The article emphasizes that war is a complex social phenomenon and a dispute regulator, deeply rooted in human history and psyche, requiring an interdisciplinary perspective for its full comprehension. The presented article constitutes a theoretical critique of Carl von Clausewitz's classic definition of war - that "war is nothing but the continuation of policy by other means" - considering it insufficient in light of contemporary conflicts (asymmetry, cyber warfare, terrorism).

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