Tendere all'estremo. Guerra e politica nel "disordine globale"

With the Russia-Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict – adding to the dozens of other wars that have been ongoing for years around the world – the international order that emerged after the end of the Cold War appears to be fundamentally challenged. The article suggests the need to investigate not only the transformations of warfare, but also how politics itself has changed, as it no longer seems capable of managing or controlling the use of force, nor of ending a war and restoring order. It explores how Carl von Clausewitz’s classical definition of war has been revisited by various theoretical approaches on the subject, and then analyses the possible reasons behind the weakening of politics. In conclusion, the article outlines some avenues of research aimed at rehabilitating politics as a means to overcome the use of war in resolving international disputes.