Transcending the ‘End of War’ Debate: Toward a Mechanism-Centered View on the ‘War on War

Has war become obsolete? Some argue that macro-historical social processes are leading war into obsolescence, while for others that pattern is explained by the fact that war is a lingering potential outcome of international politics. I argue that both answers reveal a fundamental problem with the de...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:	Brazilian political science review Vol. 17; no. 1
Main Author:	Paes, Lucas de Oliveira
Format:	Journal Article
Language:	English
Published:	Associação Brasileira de Ciência Política 2023 Brazilian Political Science Association
Subjects:	contentious politics critical security studies POLITICAL SCIENCE political violence power politics critical security studies contentious politics Political violence power politics
Online Access:	Get full text
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Summary:	Has war become obsolete? Some argue that macro-historical social processes are leading war into obsolescence, while for others that pattern is explained by the fact that war is a lingering potential outcome of international politics. I argue that both answers reveal a fundamental problem with the debate about the ‘end of war’. The focus on securing predictions about the end of war keeps analyses trapped in either a teleological or nomothetical linearity and overshadows the varied set of contingent mechanisms that allow for non-violent outcomes to prevail in contentious political episodes. The ‘War on War’ could benefit from analyses that asses shifting configurations of mechanisms in power politics.
ISSN:	1981-3821 1981-3821
DOI:	10.1590/1981-3821202300010006