War remains the most chaotic and destructive act our species is capable of. Not only are we at war with those with whom we disagree, but we are also fighting over which views on war are superior to the alternatives. We wage war with ideas, beliefs and mindsets as well as bullets, bombs and missiles. Tactics and technology are important, but only if societies can also recognise the limitations of their strategic, organisational and societal frameworks when defining and carrying out organised violence. Ben Zweibelson presents a completely new and groundbreaking method for understanding conflict at a meta-theoretical level. He combines philosophy and sociology and offers a challenging synthesis of several war paradigms, from technological, Westphalian frameworks of Western industrial societies to those under Marxist versions, as well as radical ideological movements and sects. Readers interested in philosophy, political science, security issues and foreign policy will find this book extremely informative and provocative. In this book, those who wage internationally sanctioned wars encounter proponents of wokefare, radical terrorists and doomsday cults fight totalitarian regimes, and more. Reconceptualizing War attempts what no book about war has ever done before: each theory of war remains anchored in a prevailing war paradigm. Zweibelson takes readers on a mind-bending intellectual journey in which all war paradigms are explained, juxtaposed, and overlaid to gain a better understanding of our species' enduring fascination with conflict.
