Premise: War: Another Form of Nihilism?

Abstract

We live in times of war. Even those parts of the world that, after the disasters of the twentieth century, seemed to have found forms of peaceful coexistence are now experiencing new conflicts. In many places there is an increase in the use of weapons. This is widespread, parceled warfare. There is a proliferation of local conflicts, more or less large, which arise, are blocked by precarious armistices, and are rekindled. Perhaps this proliferation of smaller-scale wars is due to the realization that a large-scale war would be
too devastating. Or, at least, we hope that such awareness is there. But even in local wars the destructive power of weapons is used without mercy or respect for the innocent.

That is why this issue of «Teoria» offers the writings of many members of CeNiC (International Center of Studies on Contemporary Nihilism), who precisely from this perspective intend to explore the theme of war. The common thread that unites them is not so much to provide normative guidance as to understand how the desire for annihilation can affect the actions of individuals and communities. For if we understand this, we will also be able to take measure against what always accompanies us as human beings, and sometimes overwhelms us: the evil that others can do to us, the evil that we can do to them, the evil that each of us can do to ourselves.