Clausewitz and the Moral Dimension of Using Force
Lt. Gen. James M. Dubik, U.S. Army retired
Thursday, April 24, 2025
At first glance, readers may think the headline on this essay makes no sense. Nowhere in On War does Carl von Clausewitz take up the moral dimension of using force in the contemporary understanding of “moral.” When he uses the term, he uses it to mean the will itself, as well as other psychological and emotional factors of war that “cannot be classified or counted.”
These kinds of subjective, unquantifiable factors are, as Clausewitz states, part of the reason war is not solely a rational affair, or the type of problem that admits to mathematical- or engineering-type solutions. However, a closer look at On War, first published posthumously in 1832, suggests a different conclusion, one where “moral” does have a more contemporary ring relating to right and wrong, good and bad.
Given the current strategic environment—ongoing hot wars, simmering regional conflict, nuclear threats, great-power competition that could burst into open conflict, and the rise of autocratic regimes—a closer look at On War seems particularly necessary and timely.
https://www.ausa.org/articles/clausewitz-and-moral-dimension-using-force
