War is a Force that Gives us Meaning

April 1st, 2008

In 1894, Leo Tolstoy wrote “The Kingdom of God is Within You”, a key book on the subject of war and pacifism, and one that had a profound effect on Ghandi when developing his principles of nonviolent resistance.

One hundred years later, Chris Hedges has written “War is a Force that Gives us Meaning“, and I’d suggest that it’s possibly one of the most important books on the subject of war ever written. If I were putting together a reading list on the subject, it would have at its core three books.

“The Art of War”, by Sun Tzu, is one the oldest and most well known, of course, and gives us the famous dictum ‘know your enemy and know yourself’‘ – advice that is relevant to all human endeavour.

“On War” by Carl von Clausewitz is perhaps the most comprehensive book on the subject, a careful study of all elements of waging war, and the interaction between warfare and politics. It is still highly relevant nearly 200 year after its composition.
Finally, “War is a Force that Gives us Meaning” takes a hard and frequently painful look at the social and cultural forces that drive humanity to war. Unlike Tolstoy, Hedges does not present himself as a pacifist. In fact, after describing the pointlessness and brutality of many of the conflicts he’s covered in his role as a war correspondant, he has few suggestions to make. However, the few rays of hope that shine through the book are his stories of encountering acts of love, kindness and hospitality, even in war zones.

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