On the Epistemological Foundations of War as a Social Phenomenon

The article analyzes the epistemological foundations of the war. According to the authors, the idea of war is the result of previous cognitive and mental activity of a person. War as a form of struggle involves the use of special knowledge and thinking abilities. A field of specialized knowledge appeared, called the art of war, and then military science. War turned out to be one of the most important spheres of human activity, requiring high achievements in the field of science. Abstract thinking made it possible, by introducing generalized concepts and images ("enemy", "homeland", "good", "evil", "bravery", etc.), to create a categorical field that allows waging a war for certain generalized interests that differ from the private ones. War has a rational motive, goal, methods and means, process, result, and implies a reflexive understanding of the warfare results. Planning and waging war requires a person to search for logical connections, identify patterns and cause-and-effect relationships when solving complex creative tasks and organizing activities in a changing environment. The belligerents strive for the efficient use of funds and the conclusion of peace on reasonable terms. In this sense, war can be seen as a form of a rational solution to social problems.