UDC 355.01 Egorov A.G., cand. of PHILOSOPHY OF WAR philosophical sciences, senior lecturer (ANALYSIS OF THE MEANING OF WAR DONE FROM Petersburg State THE POINT OF VIEW OF THE CONCEPT OF BINER) Transport University, The given article contains brief ontological analysis of war, - which is a well-known social and Russia historical phenomenon. Peculiarity of this work is connected with the fact that the given research into Conference participant, war was conducted from the point of view of the conception of biner developed by the author since 2005. National championship in The major reasons which cause wars and their consequences are also considered in this article. scientifi c analytics Keywords: war, biner, analysis.

longside with other important and and Plato, noted the universal nature the manifestation of negativity and con- Aessential issues, earlier or later ev- of war. For example, Heraclitus wrote: tradictoriness of being. Negativity and ery person has to comprehend his/her at- “War is the father and tsar of every- contradictoriness are the consequences titude to such an inevitable aspect of hu- thing, it made some human beings of duality, or binarity of being. The world man existence as war. If it is not done in Gods and some human beings – people, can not be defi nite and concrete without time and at the necessary level, it means it made some people slaves and other duality. At the same time, duality invari- that in the world outlook and thus in the people free”. At the same time, in this ably leads to the collision of different as- whole life of the given person there will connection Plato said the following: pects of being with each other. In the nar- gape a huge breach which will lead to ad- “Everybody is in war against every- row sense war is a collision, or intensive ditional mistakes, sufferings, failures and body both in social and personal life, interaction between complex biosocial inability to understand the events which and everybody [is in war] with himself/ systems which are complex binary for- take place in reality. An educated and herself” [9]. Different states are in war mations. War is an outward manifesta- thinking person needs both to develop with other states, their constituent parts tion of the clash between oppositions, the both his personal attitude to the given are in struggle with each other; within result of violating the balance between war (as if he were to become its con- individual settlements there is conduct- oppositions when between them a strong temporary or even participant) and reach ed the war between local homes and inharmonious interaction, or imbalance the stage of understanding the role and families; within families and homes between the poles of a biner begins to meaning of war in the history of man- their members are in war against each take place on the base of their unity. In kind. That person who aspires to the phil- other; and, at last, every person wages other words, war is a manifestation of the osophical level of comprehending those war against himself/herself, although unity of the deteriorating something with things which take place around him/her everybody does it in different ways something else, although for its existence should develop his/her own essential and and with different consequences. So war requires its own, special unity. As a comprehensive understanding of the idea it is clear that in this context the word result, between the poles of imbalanced of war. However, realization of this un- “war” means not only martial actions biners there starts a hard, powerful, ir- derstanding can be done from the point but all kinds of struggle against each rational and inharmonious interaction of view of different notions and on the other which people resort to (as well as which involves in its maelstrom every- base of different ways of comprehension. their intensive interaction). The notion thing that is connected with the given The given article contains brief analysis of struggle is more universal and gen- biners. of the major aspects of war which was eral compared to the notion of war [4]. War is an inevitable consequence of done from the point of view of the basic T. Gobbs noted the universal nature the enmity, or negativity which has been notions of the conception of biner devel- of war as well when he stated that every- accumulated by people. Although initial- oped by the author [See 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. body wages war against everybody. J. ly war is a form of manifesting dishar- According to the data presented by Lock regarded war as a natural state. The mony between the poles of a biner, nev- some scientists, including L. Brassel and well-known Indian thinker of the twen- ertheless war itself is a way of removing M. Brassel, almost four billion people tieth century Sri Aurobindo described the excessive tension which emerges have died during the wars throughout the general nature of war in this way: between the poles of this biner (or the the whole recorded history of mankind; “War is a universal principle determining system of biners), or a means of leading moreover, more than three hundred wars not only material aspects of human life the poles of a biner to new harmony at have taken place on the Earth during last but also the mental and moral existence a higher or lower level of hierarchy in a fi ve hundred years. The whole historical of every person” [11, 136]. Life on the quick and intensive way. From this point human experience shows that war is a Earth is a constant war, or, better to say, of view it is possible to regard war as constant and inevitable state of society struggle at all the levels of being, includ- a manifestation of some social disease and one of the phenomena of human his- ing its material, psychological, intellec- and a way of treating it at the same time. tory. tual and spiritual levels. Although after such intensive treatment As we know, even ancient Greek What is the phenomenon of war from “patients” may sometimes die. philosophers, in particular Heraclitus the philosophical point of view? War is In the most cruel and irreconcilable 3 war there is preserved close intercon- high-mindedness of the special gets its opposite to war and peace as something nection between enemies. This intercon- right and becomes reality (G. Hegel). new and different from the previous state nection is the basis of the possibility of From this point of view war is not a ca- of peace). Peace is the preparation for a starting and the continuation of the war. tastrophe, but, on the contrary, war is the war and the expectation of its beginning. War is a way of active and mutual chang- highest manifestation of human spirit. Peace is a pause between wars. War is the ing each other and adapting societies, At fi rst it may seem that any war most active state of the world. states and other social formations for starts because of some defi nite and obvi- The binary and contradictory nature each other. ous causes and reasons. Martial actions of war fi nds expression in the fact that Wars are an outward manifesta- are based on purely rational principles. in every given war there are at least two tion of struggle which takes place in the That is in its essence war has a clear ra- meanings. These are its real meaning and consciousness of mankind, peoples and tional component. Nevertheless, war is that meaning which are implied by the countries of the world [12,7]. Large- a transition to the unknown, a jump into immediate participants of a war [1,177]. scale wars are a form of expressing colli- uncertainty, a crash of all the rational The immediate participants of a war cre- sions of great epochs giving way to each landmarks and criteria. War is the most ate the whole gamut or cacophony of the other. For example, the First and Second obvious manifestation of human mad- meanings of the given war; however, World Wars are a landmark of the end of ness; many people regard it just as a pure because of different reasons they are not one historical epoch and the beginning of accident. Once Marcus Annaeus Luca- able to comprehend its true meaning. It is a new one (some historians consider that nus noted that during a war laws keep possible to assume that till nowadays no- as a matter of fact both world wars were silence. War is a biner of the rational and body has managed to understand the real one and the same war, just with a small irrational [7]. The thesis of this biner is meaning of the Second World War and its pause between its two stages). irrational. It is the irrational which trans- constituent part – the Great Patriotic War. War is not just a manifestation of the mits its impulses into the rational and War is a form of manifesting the ac- contradictoriness of human life. War it- feeds it with energy. In its turn the ratio- tive and energetic element of the world, – self is a very intricate system of contra- nal gives shape to the irrational, makes that is of the male element. War is a way dictions. Let us consider some of them in it defi nite and comprehensible to some of realizing human purposes by means brief. On the one hand, war is a manifes- extent. of force and maximal display of energy tation of the imperfection and baseness War is the most intensive manifesta- and will. Here we deal with the collision of human nature as it implies an orga- tion of evil (that is contradictoriness of of the male and female principles of be- nized mass murder of other people aimed the world), but, on the one hand, war is ing. The female principle creates, makes, at getting material or some other goods a powerful means of the struggle against preserves and keeps. The male principle in such an unfair way. As P. Prudon and evil. Indisputably, war is evil, but it is not aspires to destroy and change suddenly N. A. Berdyaev noted earlier, here we the absolute evil. War is also a manifesta- those things which have already been speak about the traces of the zoologi- tion of kindness. In other words, war is a created and which are available at pres- cal stage of human development when biner of kindness and evil. ent. Therefore war is an unexpected such qualities as cruelty, revengefulness, On the one hand, war seems to be predominance of the antithesis over the blood-thirstiness, violence, robbery and a kind of infringement on justice, one thesis in the biner “the male–the female”. desire for might manifest themselves. In of the most unfair things on the Earth. As we know, subconsciously antith- this case war should be regarded as an However, on the other hand, with the esis aspires to destroy the results of the expression of madness, irrationality and help of war it is possible to restore the work of thesis and thus of itself. Unlike absurdness, or animal instincts of human justice which has been violated as well its opposite – piece – war is not all-suf- beings. as to create another type and level of fi cient; in a sense it parasitizes on peace, However, on the other hand, war the interaction between the poles of the although it is possible only due to peace. is a means of fi nding a way out from contradictions of society or to form new However, without war peace can not humbling commonness and being above kinds of unity. become better or different either. That the trite and vulgar way of living. Such War is a break-through of non-being is why Belonna (the Roman goddess lofty features of human nature as the de- into being, addition of non-being to be- of war) will not be ever able to rule the sire for heroic deeds, courage, fortitude, ing, emergence of the irrational on the world undividedly; nevertheless, without sacrifi ce, fi delity and neglecting one’s surface. War is a mechanism of restor- her the world will come to a standstill personal safety show themselves during ing the balance between our, immanent and die. a war. As G. Hegel wrote, war is a mani- world and the transcendental world, – or So we can see that war does not just festation of moral substance and its ab- the “world of the dead”. War is a mani- have such intricate and contradictory na- solute freedom from any available being festation of the connection, or interaction ture but is included in some more intri- [3,255]. War provides every person for with another world which calls and at- cate systems of contradictions. By now the opportunity to feel the force of nega- tracts people from this world. we have already briefl y touched upon the tivity when property and even human life Any war implies the possibility of biner (that is the contradiction “peace – lose their previous meaning and become peace, – that is its own opposite. Any war”. In another projection of the meta- just an element of the ruthless course of war is organized for achieving peace physical and intelligible space this biner the world history. War is a moment when (as a matter of fact, both peace as a state will become the biner “creativity–de- 4 struction”. War is a destructive element type of world view, philosophical bases it is the assimilation of these bodies. The of being, and peace is its constructive el- and principles which a person compre- struggle for food in its more intricate ement. Nevertheless, during wars many hending the problems of war adheres to forms leads to a real war. Therefore ma- people reveal their creative potential. as well as on the volume and quality of terialism managed to catch a true aspect Without wars there will not be the reno- human knowledge about concrete wars of the reasons for wars – that is the eco- vation of the word and its development. on the base of which the reasons of these nomic one. Even those scholars who re- However, without peace nothing is pos- wars will be determined. Besides, deter- pudiate materialism as a primitive world sible at all, including wars. mination of the reasons of war will de- view consider that dishonest economic In a bit different sphere the biner pend on the level of thinking of the given competition, commercial barriers and “peace – war” is projected into a simpler researcher too. high rates cause wars quite often. biner “pacifi sm – militarism”. Both poles Ideally, probably, it is possible to However, the material reason of wars of this biner faintly perceive real tenden- bring all causes together in a kind of har- lies on the surface and is quite obvious, cies of a higher and more intricate biner monious unity or to achieve a very high although it can be quite diverse and in- whose refl ected projection it is. Pacifi sm degree of universality in understand- tricate. Under this surface (or above it?) is superfi cial and naively rationalistic. ing the major causes of war. However, there is a wide range of the reasons char- As N. A. Berdyaev writes in one of his each of us can notice and comprehend acterized by some other properties. works, pacifi sm does not want to know only some defi nite aspect of the given The struggle for self-preservation spiritual terms of the cessation of wars (and any other) issue both vertically and (and it does not come only to material [1,178]. However, militarism lacks the horizontally. Therefore only in continu- things) is a more important reason for all proper level of verity as well. Militarism ous cognitive interaction with each other wars. The irrational realization of their does not realize its actual bases, does not we will be able to broaden the horizons uniqueness incites every people of the understand the consequences which it of our understanding, to become the world and every individual human being leads to as well as its real role in human complement of one another and thus to to the struggle for self-preservation. So history. get a more developed and true point of if nothing else counterbalances it, this So war is a manifestation of the active view. One-sided centering in the pole of struggle will be held till the death of ev- and energetic male aspect of being. War some biner and persistent defense of only ery person participating in it, or till the is a powerful energetic impulse which one’s own attitude become obstacles on moment of utter destruction or enslave- leaves the given society out consciously the way of real and concrete cognition. ment of another people. or unconsciously to throw off the excess Special attention should be paid to If the given people and person admit energy which is able to destroy the given the discussion about war presented by the only their own uniqueness and do not society from inside. If because of some great Russian philosopher N. A. Berdy- know or do not acknowledge the unique- reasons society is not able to spend ac- aev who considered that war can prevail ness of other peoples and human beings, cumulated energy in a peaceful way, it in the world of objectifi cation estranged the beginning of a war is absolutely in- turns into the state of outward or inward into objects and articles. War will take evitable. One-sided acknowledgement of aggression. place in its different forms all the time one’s uniqueness leads to the fact that all As M. Veller considers, a war begins till that very moment when spiritual and other people are perceived as enemies. at that moment when the level of ac- speculative unity appears in the world. Appearance of an enemy begins with cumulated energy exceeds the level of Plato distinguished the material rea- creating its image. Creating the image forces supporting the available balance. son for all the wars of mankind quite of an enemy, being unaware of the unity That is it starts at that time when in soci- clearly and precisely. In his opinion, this with other peoples and human beings is ety there are no forces which are able to reason is human body. “You see, all wars the fi rst step to starting a war. When there control accumulated might. A war begins are organized for the sake of grubbing are no enemies, there is no war (Laozi). at that moment when the level of avail- riches; at the same time, it is our body Therefore, if you want to have a war, able energy exceeds the level of creative which makes us grub riches and which you need to search for enemies and cre- possibilities of the given society. In other we serve slavishly” [10,24-25]. Howev- ate them (at fi rst only in your imagina- words, it starts when people do not know er, our mind and our spirit should control tion). On the contrary, if you do not want or can not use manpower wisely. our body and not to let it spread its long- to have a war, you should search for the From the point of view of the con- ings around it too much and unwisely. images of enemies in your consciousness ception of biner war is a form of throw- Besides, not only our body is the reason and then gradually transfi gure and con- ing away superfl uous energy out of the for wars. vert them into the images of your broth- given system of biners which is not able Nevertheless, of all human constitu- ers-in-arms and friends. to keep this energy within itself or can ent parts it is body which is the most ob- An enemy is everybody who is not not balance and distribute it harmoni- jectifi ed human component. It does not equal to you from this or that point of ously between its poles and constituent bear any active encroachment on its bor- view, who infringes (or it seems to us elements. ders and is always ready to infringe on that he infringes) on equality and violates It is possible to point out different other bodies for its own survival. Feed- justice. Therefore it is no mere chance causes of wars. Which of them will be ing bodies is a continuous war with other that some thinkers considered money to dominant and decisive will depend on the bodies, a war aimed at utter destruction; be the major cause of wars. Marcus Fa- 5 bius Quintilianus believed that to abolish Aspiration to fame is even more in the world which is characterized by money means to abolish wars. Indeed, it spiritual cause of wars. Aspiration to having more developed and speculative is possible to assume that if there is no fame is a manifestation of the aspiration unity there should not be any wars at money, then there will be no criterion of peoples and human beings to all. If it is really so (for those who are for measuring injustice and inequality. immortality, or the aspiration to remain able to perceive the speculative and Hence there will not be any reason for in the memory and spirit of others. In spiritual), the statement of G. Hegel overcoming them. However, it is rather this case material reasons and causes are saying that speculative essence of any superfi cial point of view on the essence absolutely in the background, they play state is the bases of inevitable wars of the issue of war. Injustice and inequal- just a subsidiary role here. However, it is will still seem to be paradoxical. A ity are expressed and measured not only possible to obtain fame not only with the real war is impossible without state. In with money. help of wars. this case only spontaneous skirmishes The most important cause of wars The state of war appears at that between some concrete people or groups is the aspiration of peoples and human moment when the illegal force begins would be possible. It is a state due to beings to justice. At the same time, to manifest itself more and more which wars can become a general and justice is a way of perceiving and actively, when violence becomes the systematic phenomenon. Without army fi nding truth. Not to go into detail when main means of solving social problems. any state is not a state. The existence of comparing truth and verity it is possible When the practice of violence exceeds an army is an objective manifestation of to claim that the cause of all the wars is some certain level the given human the willingness of the given people to the aspiration of people to verity, their being or people are ready to undertake wage a war (here it does not matter at all aspiration to fi nd truth. However, as the martial actions; they are not afraid of for the sake of which purposes, – that is profundity of understanding truth and death and sufferings any more; besides, for protection or for assault). verity is different for different peoples they respond to violence with even In any case, I proceed from the fact and for different human beings, then more violence. In this case there takes that the major and decisive cause of all there emerge the abundance of concrete place the outburst of the excess energy the wars is the lack of the necessary reasons leading to this or that war which a people or a human being could level of the wisdom of a people and the and different ways of understanding not direct to the creative groove. Every citizens it consists of. For understanding them. Inability to synthesize different people, – that is the citizens it consists this principle it would be necessary levels of understanding verity and thus of, – are ready to undertake maximal to develop the content of the notion of understanding justice leads to realizing actions. These are the actions which lead wisdom which is really intricate and one’s uniqueness and one’s rightness. to extermination of those whom they complicated. It is not reasonable to It seems to many people that their own consider to be their enemies. It is possible do it within this work. Now it is only freedom is restricted, that their rights to restrain this irrational outbreak of possible to say that wisdom is a form are limited, that all other people are excess energy with the help of a well- of manifesting and realizing the inner wrong, – and, as enemies are absolutely developed system of values of the given harmony of all the stages of the world. wrong, it is necessary to put them in their human being and people. If these are Those human beings who are not aware place. A people or a human being who high-level values, they may harmonize of this harmony and who are not able is developed from the spiritual point uncontrollable energies, direct them to to realize and keep this harmony will of view not well enough wants to be achieving constructive purposes and fi nd inevitably involve themselves in the beyond equality, wants to have power such justice, truth and verity which will state of war both against themselves and over others. As a result, there appears direct peoples to the harmonized and other people. Besides, they will be in this noxious rivalry and lack of confi dence in wise interaction with each other. state till the moment when they achieve each other. At the same time, the lack of On the contrary, weakening the maximum and perfect wisdom. And now confi dence emerges at that moment when system of values leads to increasing the war is an inevitable human fate, which both parties pursue their vile but on the probability of starting the international such outstanding thinkers as Heraclitus, whole similar interests. or civil war (P. Sorokin – [2,93]). Values Plato and many other thinkers realized Superfi cial and ludicrous (although are a means of holding the aspiration to long ago. at fi rst also inevitable) manifestations eliminate these or those inequalities in It may seem that the consequences of of the aspiration to freedom, verity check. With the help of values society wars (especially for the peoples-losers) and justice are ambition, love of power can be brought to the state of some are exclusively negative. Many active and pride. As a rule, these aspirations certain concord. and strong people are exterminated, which are rather spiritual though still It was mentioned above that one of enormous resources are spent, quite garbled are hidden behind the the basic causes of wars is the fact that considerable and diverse sufferings are references to the necessity of assaulting our world is the world of objectifi cation, experienced and the settled forms of others as a preventive measure against the world of estranged objects and life typical of many generations begin the aggression which is being prepared, processes which are in constant mutual to change much. However, it is really getting economic goods which are struggle for self-preservation and so only outwardly, from the superfi cial unfairly possessed by another people (N. obtaining some better conditions of their point of view. Very often peoples become O. Lossky). unique and sole being. It may seem that stronger due to wars even when they lose 6 them. An important meaning of war points of view, – that is in Germany and diffi cult to substantiate both the fi rst consists in the fact that due to wars “there Japan. However, after the war those and the second principles with the help are preserved the moral health of peoples countries developed very dynamically of concrete sociological and statistic and their indifference to the solidifi cation and in various spheres. At the same time, data, but it is obvious that in any war we of fi nal certainties” (G. Hegel). War as a result of the war, the countries- can observe a kind of natural selection. shows human beings and peoples that winners also got a noticeable impulse So if in general mankind develops, this those things which seemed to them to to their further development. Any war kind of selection should be positive (in be the most precious and valuable in is a tragedy leading to an economic and combination with inevitable negative reality are just accidental and fi nite. sometimes spiritual upswing. features). During a war and after it new depths of It is also a well-known fact that war One’s attitude to war and comprehending the sense of their being and preparation for waging new wars comprehending its meaning strongly are revealed by some concrete people are the strongest factor of scientifi c and depend also on the way of understanding and human beings; besides, there takes technological development. Without such phenomena as death, life, place the redistribution of energy within the militaristic component science immortality and peace. Besides, the the given society; moreover, stable and technologies would develop very quality of grasping the idea of war and structures begin to change and alter. In slowly. M. Veller (a talented writer its real essence depends on the way of this way the transfer to a new stage of who popularized the whole range of understanding the destination of human human history takes place. Due to the philosophical ideas quite well) assumes beings in this world as well as on the way wars against other countries different that during wars there perish, fi rst of comprehending what this world exists peoples of the world become calmer and of all, more courageous, aggressive, for. better-balanced. That energy which is energetic and mentally ordinary people. References: able to destroy a people from inside is At the same time, in M. Veller’s opinion, 1. 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