U.S. Army War College >> Strategic Studies Institute >> Events >> Details

Post-heroic Warfare

---

March 22-23, 2011
Faculty of History
Oxford, United Kingdom
Open to the General Public
Registration Fee: $150

Post-heroism is often perceived as one of the main aspects of change in the character of war. Large parts of the contemporary strategic discourse rest on the assumption that war today is no longer fuelled by heroic motivations, and does not produce any popular public heroes, at least not in western democracies. Willingness to kill or die for the cause of one’s socio-political community appears to be either a phenomenon of an historical stage that western states have long left behind or an indicator of nationalistic or religious fanaticism. This is what has been described as the ‘post-heroic condition’ of western societies. According to this view, demographic and cultural changes in the west have severely decreased the tolerance for casualties in war. The proposed conference intends to take a critical look at this idea.
Read more...

Partners: University of Oxford Programme on the Changing Character of War and the United States Army War College Strategic Studies Institute

Links and Contacts

• Host's Website

Please note that all colloquia require RSVP.