Clausewitz and Foucault: war and power

Carl von Clausewitz's On War has influenced theorists across a wide range of disciplines, and one such was the late French philosopher and historian, Michel Foucault. This paper considers what at first sight appears to be Foucault's reversal of Clausewitz, but which oncloser examination ca...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inScientia militaria : South African journal of military studies Vol. 31; no. 1
Main Author Deacon, Roger
Format Journal Article
LanguageAfrikaans
English
Published Stellenbosch University 01.01.2003
Subjects
Carl von Clausewitz's On War
Clausewitz's analysis of war
Foucault's reversal of Clausewitz
French philosopher and historian, Michel Foucault
influenced theorists
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Summary:Carl von Clausewitz's On War has influenced theorists across a wide range of disciplines, and one such was the late French philosopher and historian, Michel Foucault. This paper considers what at first sight appears to be Foucault's reversal of Clausewitz, but which oncloser examination can be seen to be an accordance with many striking parallels. It isargued that Foucault's reconceptualisation of modem, or disciplinary, relations of power corresponds remarkably closely with Clausewitz's analysis of war, to the extent that both power and war can be understood in terms of multiple, unstable, interactive and variable relations of force, governed by rationality but often resistant to analysis, the significance of which lies primarily in their fluctuating and reciprocal outcomes and consequences, and not least their moral and psychological components and effects.
ISSN:1022-8136
2224-0020
2224-0020
DOI:10.5787/31-1-142