University of Oregon

Philosophy of War: On Nature

The Philosophy of War thinks about War.

WHAT IS WAR? Set to the D-Day Landings at Normandy on June 6 1944, Part 1 focuses on this question and the views of the pre-Socratic philosopher Heraclitus. The Ancient Greek was one of world's first natural scientists, trying to understand the ways of the world in terms of its law-like, physical properties. Famous for his idea that one cannot step twice into the same river, his idea that war is the nature of reality anticipates the modern physics and evolutionary biology. The insight of the thinker once known as the "dark one" could not have been more bright.

Part 1 ends with the beginnings of an introduction to Carl von Clausewitz's theory of war, contained in his book On War. He thought that War is the continuation of politics by other means. It is both a battle of wills and a trial of strength.

See Part 2 here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Ni-KDQORaQ