The Evolution of War

The section of Foucault's chapter that stuck out to me the most, was the part that preceded the passage that Adam discusses (in the post right before mine). In this section, Foucault discusses the idea that "wars are no longer waged in the name of a sovereign that must be defended; they are waged on behalf of the existence of everyone; entire populations are mobilized for the purpose of wholesale slaughter in the name of life necessity" (137). This quote provides an effective lead-in to Foucault's idea that we have moved past the idea of death overpowering the right to life. Not only do people prioritize life more when wars begin and people die nobly, as Adam discusses, but the purpose of war and dying in the first place has changed. War is no longer a political statement as much as it is a humanitarian one. Now, we have the power to end life on Earth, which gives life an even newer meaning. All-out destruction isn't the goal anymore.

This gives an effective context to discuss the present and future of war. Last semester, I took a class on international security, and we often talked about the global hegemony and enforcement of international law. Because the world has been armed with nuclear weapons, sovereignty is defended by means other than war now. Strength is not literally strength anymore. Does this set the groundwork for people changing their conceptions of the importance of life relative to death? Does life mean something different now? I think that Foucault’s framework sets the stage for this discussion nicely.