Introductory Essay Still in the Face of War: On Framing Political Realities Anew
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Anton Leist
Abstract
A great war changes the world. Fighting the temptation to declare it part of normality, this introduction describes three ‘Western’ fallacies which account for the Western perception of a unilateral war of aggression in Europe as unpredictable and shocking. These delusions are the belief that the world is not merely global but cosmopolitan, that the world is on the threshold of perpetual peace, and that there is a widespread trend towards non-violent social relations. We describe the one-sided philosophical motives behind these expectations, and contrast these with the prevalent social motives to nationalism, a hidden compulsion to war, and a persistent habitual cruelty, all of which are found in present Russia or other autocracies. The underlying interest in these analyses is less about deciphering the aggressor than about working towards the question of whether the often-argued thesis of modernisation is more than fiction.
Abstract
A great war changes the world. Fighting the temptation to declare it part of normality, this introduction describes three ‘Western’ fallacies which account for the Western perception of a unilateral war of aggression in Europe as unpredictable and shocking. These delusions are the belief that the world is not merely global but cosmopolitan, that the world is on the threshold of perpetual peace, and that there is a widespread trend towards non-violent social relations. We describe the one-sided philosophical motives behind these expectations, and contrast these with the prevalent social motives to nationalism, a hidden compulsion to war, and a persistent habitual cruelty, all of which are found in present Russia or other autocracies. The underlying interest in these analyses is less about deciphering the aggressor than about working towards the question of whether the often-argued thesis of modernisation is more than fiction.
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Contents IX
- Introductory Essay Still in the Face of War: On Framing Political Realities Anew 1
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Part I: Different Perspectives on Realism
- Realism, Ethics, and the Ukraine War 55
- Realism, Responsibility, and the War 89
- Looking at the War Realistically 117
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Part II: International Law and International Relations
- The End of Which War? Uncomfortable Legal and Historical Comparisons and Diagnoses 149
- Can We (Still) Trust International Law? A Defense against Old and New ‘Realisms’ in Light of the Russian Aggression against Ukraine 171
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Part III: War, Western Democracy, World Scenario
- Wilsonianism, Realism, and the Ukrainian War 195
- Carl Schmitt in Brussels: The Russian War against Ukraine and the Return of Geopolitics 215
- Power Politics for Western Democracy: The War against Ukraine in the Context of Epochal Conflicts 241
- Notes on Contributors 267
- Name Index 269
- Subject Index 277
Chapters in this book
- Frontmatter I
- Preface V
- Contents IX
- Introductory Essay Still in the Face of War: On Framing Political Realities Anew 1
-
Part I: Different Perspectives on Realism
- Realism, Ethics, and the Ukraine War 55
- Realism, Responsibility, and the War 89
- Looking at the War Realistically 117
-
Part II: International Law and International Relations
- The End of Which War? Uncomfortable Legal and Historical Comparisons and Diagnoses 149
- Can We (Still) Trust International Law? A Defense against Old and New ‘Realisms’ in Light of the Russian Aggression against Ukraine 171
-
Part III: War, Western Democracy, World Scenario
- Wilsonianism, Realism, and the Ukrainian War 195
- Carl Schmitt in Brussels: The Russian War against Ukraine and the Return of Geopolitics 215
- Power Politics for Western Democracy: The War against Ukraine in the Context of Epochal Conflicts 241
- Notes on Contributors 267
- Name Index 269
- Subject Index 277
