The first armed conflict of the Revolutionary War was provoked by

Yet Hegel is still taught and studied (as he should be), even if those crude ideological appropriations of his ideas have been largely consigned to the past.

But, the real sense of empathy with Hobhouse is the feeling of what is the point of what we do as political theorists, or scholars writing books on theories that explain or justify conflict, war and violence? Maybe the task is to assist in the necessary work of destroying these theories as Hobhouse hoped to do with his short book on Hegel’s theory of the state. The action in Ukraine and its uncertain consequences, as well as the longer-term misery for those involved, is all before us. Of course, I have the luxury of not experiencing the Ukraine conflict at close hand, but from a safe distance and the comfort of the press and social media. The Metaphysical Theory of the State, London 1918, p.6. To combat this doctrine effectively is to take such a part in the fight as the physical disabilities of middle age allow.” In the bombing I had just witnessed the visible and tangible outcome of a false and wicked doctrine, the foundations of which lay, as I believe in the book before me. To each man the tools and weapons that he can best use. Was this a time for theorizing or destroying theories, when the world was tumbling about our ears? My second thought ran otherwise. “As I went back to my Hegel my first mood was one of self-satire. Today of all days I am reminded of my predecessor at LSE, the great L.T Hobhouse, writing the following after witnessing a Zeppelin raid on London from his garden in Hampstead: Of course, having just published a book on Conflict, War and Revolution, this should be no surprise, and it isn’t, but it still feels strangely unsettling even from my office at LSE on a bright March afternoon. Yet, the reality of an interstate war in Europe brings home the fact of the prevalence of war and conflict. There have been many wars in my lifetime, most have been off-shored, fought either by proxies elsewhere in the world, or as imperialist interventions, such as Vietnam, or the various coalition adventures in Iraq and Afghanistan. It is hard to believe that I am writing this: Ukraine, a European country has been invaded by its neighbouring state Russia in an unprovoked assault.

Reflecting on the recent events in Ukraine and the history of realist thought on war, Paul Kelly, discusses intellectual responses to war and the inter-relationship of social thought with armed conflict.

War is a quintessentially social phenomenon that has provoked thinkers throughout history.

The first armed conflict of the Revolutionary War was provoked by