CFP: Clausewitz as a Practical Philosopher. Special Issue of the Philosophical Journal of Conflict and Violence

Call for papers: Clausewitz as a Practical Philosopher

Special Issue of the Philosophical Journal of Conflict and Violence

December 2021

Guest editor: Andreas Herberg-Rothe

Clausewitz, still perhaps the most important and referenced theorist of war, was deeply influenced by the thought and philosophy of his own time. Although Clausewitz rejected an abstract philosophy of war, he highlighted that his approach was a philosophical attempt to understand war. His “wondrous trinity,” as well as his dialectics of defense and offense are essentially hybrid conceptualizations. By elaborating the philosophical foundations of Clausewitz’s theory, this special issue aims to contribute to a better understanding of the ongoing transformation of war and violent action in a globalized world.

Suggested topics include, but are not limited to:

§  Interactions to the extreme, past and present

§  Revolution in military thinking in Clausewitz’s work

§  Towards a social-philosophy of war based on Clausewitz’s conceptualization of violence

§  Clausewitz and education (Education as philosophy – Clausewitz, Schiller,
enlightenment and romanticism)

§  Hybridity, paradoxes, wondrous trinity and the dialectics of defense and offense

§  Clausewitz and his exchange with Fichte

§  Plato and Clausewitz (about the causes of war?)

§  Clausewitz and the rational of probability and chance

§  Are there rules for orchestrating hybridity in warfare? Clausewitz as a starting point, not already the solution?

§  The tension between technique and method versus the primacy of politics

§  Politics/policy as separated realm or an holistic concept

§   Instrumental view of war versus war as a kind of praxis

§  Clausewitz’s and Sun Tzu’s way of thinking

§  Clausewitz and the Thucydides trap – implementing fear in practical philosophy

§  The absolute and the ideal war – beyond Max Weber’s ideal type

§  Purpose, aims and means – a hierarchical conceptualization or a floating balance - in search   for a different rationale

Abstracts should be sent to Andreas Herberg-Rothe ([email protected]) and Andreas Wilmes (the editor-in-chief of the journal) ([email protected]) until the 1st of July 2020. Decision notifications will be sent by the 15th of September. Full papers should be submitted by the 15th of January 2021.

The Philosophical Journal of Conflict and Violence is an open access journal which can be accessed here: https://trivent-publishing.eu/32-philosophical-journal-of-conflict-and-violence-pjcv