Episode
The Hell That is War Has Lost Its Power | Bonus Episode
- Published
- Apr 3, 2026
- Duration seconds
- 1226
- Processing state
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Summary
In this bonus episode of the podcast, Roger Berkowitz revisits and updates his latest columns on “The Hell That is War Has Lost Its Power,” arguing that modern war, though more precise and destructive, no longer resolves conflicts or stabilizes political order. Drawing on Clausewitz’s view of war as politics by other means and Arendt’s distinction between power and violence, he claims total war collapses the civilian-soldier divide, destroys societies and infrastructure, and delegitimizes even the victor, producing “destruction without decision.” Using the current U.S.-Israel war in Iran, alongside Ukraine and other examples, he suggests wars now spread, persist, and morph into endless police actions, terror, drones, and AI. Berkowitz concludes that the challenge is to develop political forms of common action and power beyond violence, with deterrence as a remaining caveat. Rate and review if you like this podcast! ABOUT: Produced by the Hannah Arendt Center at Bard College, this podcast offers close readings of Arendt's books alongside engaging interviews and thought-provoking conversations. Released weekly, each episode provides listeners with a deeper understanding of Arendt's philosophy and its relevance to contemporary issues. Available on all major podcast platforms, listeners join us on a captivating intellectual journey through the mind of Hannah Arendt. New episodes every Friday morning! Join Roger Berkowitz, Founder and Academic Director of the Hannah Arendt Center for Politics and Humanities at Bard College, as he discusses the works of German Jewish political theorist Hannah Arendt (1906-1975). THE HANNAH ARENDT CENTER: The Hannah Arendt Center provides an intellectual space for passionate, uncensored, and nonpartisan thinking that reframes and deepens the…