Reappreciation of Clausewitz's 'On War'

摘要

Despite appearances, On War is not a finished work. Clausewitz himself admitted, 'The first chapter of Book One alone I regard as finished. It will at least serve the whole by indicating the direction I meant to follow everywhere.' Clausewitz said in a note found among his papers, 'It was my ambition to write a book that would not be forgotten after two or three years, and that possibly might be picked up more than once by those who are interested in the subject.' Clausewitz, a perfectionist, hoped to draft his thoughts first and then perfect the draft with more thinking. Unfortunately, he who was a genius in the study of military theory, died suddenly of chlorea at the age of 51, his remaining ambitions unaccomplished. This elaborate but unfinished work used to give readers confusion and difficulty. Because Clausewitz was charmed with the philosophical methodology of German philosophers including Kant, he was considered to be hard to understand from a military point of view. Despite these draw backs, this book is one of the most important and influential classics for those who study social sciences such as politics and economics, as well as for military thinkers.