New Books in Military History Ben Zweibelson, "Reconceptualizing War" (Helion, 2025)
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Aug 7, 2025 Ben Zweibelson, a retired U.S. Army infantry officer and philosopher, explores the chaotic nature of war in his groundbreaking book. He argues that traditional paradigms limit our understanding of organized violence, advocating for a multi-paradigm approach that blends philosophy, sociology, and design thinking. Zweibelson critiques military institutions' resistance to change and examines the implications of technological advancements like AI. He also delves into ideological alignments in modern conflict, challenging listeners to reevaluate their assumptions about warfare.
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War Is Paradigm-Dependent
- War is interpreted through competing social paradigms that shape what societies see as legitimate and effective violence.
- Reconceptualizing war requires seeing beyond one's paradigm to craft strategies that exploit others' blind spots.
Functionalism Frames Military Doctrine
- Functionalism treats reality as a stable system governed by enduring laws that can be discovered and applied.
- Military doctrine reflects this by emphasizing universal principles like centers of gravity and ends-ways-means.
Marxism As A War Paradigm
- Radical structuralism (Marxism) rejects a stable reality and insists systemic economic forces drive revolutionary change.
- This paradigm expects war and politics to be transformed through class struggle and structural upheaval.
