Wars as a Threat to Global Civilization in Historical and Philosophical Reflections of the 21st Century

Левітас, Фелікс Львович (2025) Wars as a Threat to Global Civilization in Historical and Philosophical Reflections of the 21st Century Сторінки історії: збірник наукових праць (60). pp. 370-382. ISSN 2307-5244

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Abstract

This article explores the phenomenon of war as a persistent and escalating threat to global civilization through the lens of historical and philosophical analysis in the 21st century. It conceptualizes the continuity of armed conflict throughout human history, illustrating how warfare and violence have accompanied the rise and fall of civilizations. Despite the progress of education, the flourishing of Renaissance art, the ideals of 19th-century humanism and Enlightenment, the liberal movements of the 20th century, and the intellectual upheavals of the 21st century, humanity has remained incapable of preventing the outbreak of large-scale, devastating wars. The authors analyze both the root causes and evolving mechanisms of warfare, highlighting their growing scale, intensifying dynamics, and increasingly tragic consequences for modern society. The genocidal nature of the two World Wars — with Europe as their epicenter — serves as a stark example of the destructive potential of modern militarism. The article reflects on the global proliferation of hatred, the militarization of cutting-edge scientific and technological advances, the targeting of critical civilian infrastructure, and the enormous humanitarian toll inflicted by contemporary armed conflicts, frequently marked by blatant violations of international humanitarian law. Further, the analysis addresses the continued expansion of military conflicts across regions, fueled by authoritarian and totalitarian regimes which, at the juncture of the 20th and 21st centuries, appear ideologically predisposed to wage large-scale wars, pursue historical revanchism, and strive for hegemonic dominance. The Russian Federation’s fullscale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and the Hamas-led assault on Israel on October 7, 2023, serve as alarming milestones, underscoring the urgent dangers posed to the future of global civilization. The article argues that democratic governments have thus far failed to mount an effective intellectual and strategic response to these existential threats. In a time when vigilance has waned and the menace of tyranny has been underestimated, the imperative for designing new political, societal, and military frameworks capable of securing lasting global peace and stability becomes more acute than ever. The study draws on a wide range of historical sources, encompassing both domestic and international scholarship, to support its conclusions.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	armed conflict; world war; Cold War; hybrid war; totalitarianism; dictatorship
Subjects:	Статті у періодичних виданнях > Збірники наукових праць Статті у періодичних виданнях > Фахові (входять до переліку фахових, затверджений МОН) Статті у періодичних виданнях > Наукові рецензовані журнали (входять до інших баз, крім перерахованих та Google Academy, мають ISSN, DOI, індекс цитування)
Divisions:	Інститут післядипломної освіти > Кафедра історичної та громадянської освіти
Depositing User:	Наталія Миколаївна Дем'янчук
Date Deposited:	29 Sep 2025 07:29
Last Modified:	29 Sep 2025 07:29
URI:	https://elibrary.kubg.edu.ua/id/eprint/53241

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