664F Spring 2026 Why War? Threats, Enemies, and Virtuous Violence: A Global Perspective

664F  Why War? Threats, Enemies, and Virtuous Violence: A Global Perspective
One session
Instructor: Daniel Rothbart
Wednesday, 11:50—1:15, Apr. 29
Why war? Why do some national, religious, ethnic, and racial groups address their grievances with adversaries through violence rather than peace? These are questions for all ages, with enormous currency today for the many nations, including the United States, that are engulfed in war either directly or indirectly. In this presentation/discussion we take a global perspective to focus on the large-scale trends of wars, their underlying causes, and the prospects for peace. We go beyond, and beneath, the headlines about the wars in Israel-Palestine and between Russia and Ukraine, for example to delve into the underpinnings of most wars occurring today. We also discuss the stark contrast between the mindsets linked to militarism and that of peace.
Daniel Rothbart is the Druscilla French chair in Conflict Analysis and Resolution at the Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter School for Peace and Conflict Resolution, George Mason University. He currently serves as the director of the peace lab called Polarization and Violence Transformed.