Why War Matters?

In the modern Western world war is not only exorcized from the social domain but also seen as inherently evil even though armed force is constantly used as an instrument of policy. Credibility as a security political actor still calls for possession of armed force. War as a phenomenon also underpins much of the social and cultural reality even when it is not actually being waged. The paper addresses this fundamental divide between the Western common conception, and rhetoric, of war and the contrasting evident, widespread Western use of armed force and the hidden role of war in the structure of peaceful societies. What are the implications for war studies? Is war as a social phenomenon adequately theorized or is war too elusive for a coherent study? The paper outlines a proposal for an approach to the study of war. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]