War as a Social and Strategic Phenomenon: Contributions from Sociology and Strategic Intelligence

Abstract

This article analyzes war as a social phenomenon from a functionalist perspective, integrating Gaston Bouthoul's thesis for a deeper understanding. It also cites Carl von Clausewitz to emphasize the enduring link between politics and the population's will to fight, both essential for initiating and sustaining a war. Kenneth N. Waltz is referenced only regarding the first level of analysis of his thesis on the causes of war, in order to connect the human behavior of political leaders with the State's social system, that is, how society influences the political system and vice versa. Frederick H. Hartman is then cited to highlight that war is a characteristic of the international system. Hartman's most important insight is that war can erupt unexpectedly; one becomes aware of it only when a State has already attacked another. Thus, the article turns to strategic intelligence to assess its competence, importance, and role within the social sciences, to enable anticipation of threats. Such intelligence will only be useful if the State has the permanent capacity to monitor the behavior of the social system and the political leadership of competing States, in order to anticipate war and make timely strategic decisions. Finally, the article argues and analyzes the points outlined above from a sociological perspective, citing Émile Durkheim and Talcott Parsons, and proposes that Parsons' social system theory, intended for the analysis of social phenomena, is also applicable to the study of war as a phenomenon.