16. Oktober 2023. Michael Mann: Are Wars Rational?

Michael Mann hast three main propositions. First, war is not
hard-wired into humans or only men. It is a product of social
stratification and states. Second, decisions for war have been
predominantly taken by rulers and their entourages, regardless of
the formal constitution of the state. Lacking interest in foreign
policy, the people are easily manipulated into war. Third, most
wars have been irrational in terms of means or ends or both
together, because as well as supposed material or strategic
interests, war and peace decisions are constrained by emotions,
ideologies, domestic politics, and “baked in” culture and
institutions. Mann derives these propositions from quantitative
research on wars since 1816 and his own long-run analysis of
sequences of war across three continents. Michael Mann, Michael
Mann, Distinguished Research Professor, University of California,
Los Angeles; Siegfried Lanshut Preisträger 2018 Moderation:
Wolfgang Knöbl, Direktor des Hamburger Instituts für
Sozialforschung Ein Vortrag der Reihe "Im Nebel des Krieges" | 40
Jahre Hamburger Institut für Sozialforschung