{"id":14157,"date":"2023-04-17T10:18:20","date_gmt":"2023-04-17T08:18:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/?p=14157"},"modified":"2023-04-18T17:26:23","modified_gmt":"2023-04-18T15:26:23","slug":"useful-knowledge-about-wars-and-peace","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/useful-knowledge-about-wars-and-peace\/?lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Useful Knowledge About Wars and Peace"},"content":{"rendered":"<p style=\"text-align: right;\"><em>By <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.google.com\/site\/sguriev\/home?authuser=0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sergue\u00ef Guriev<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n<p>In his 1939 famous essay \u2018<a href=\"https:\/\/www.ias.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/library\/UsefulnessHarpers.pdf\">The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge\u2019<\/a>, Abraham Flexner, the founding director of the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton, argued that humanity greatly benefits from \u2018the unobstructed pursuit\u2019 by scholars of seemingly \u2018useless knowledge\u2019. While Flexner himself was a very practical person (in particular, he played a key role in reforming medical education in the US), his essay is dedicated to research on questions that may seem to have no direct applications at the time of embarking on the initial study.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>Fewer Wars, But Still Wars<\/strong><\/h4>\n<p>Until last year, doing research on war could have seemed \u2018useless\u2019 work. Indeed, after World War\u00a0II, the world\u2009\u2013\u2009in particular the West\u2009\u2013\u2009has seemed to enter the era of eternal peace notably thanks to a sophisticated system of international institutions to protect it. As documented by Stephen Pinker<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_14157_1('footnote_plugin_reference_14157_1_1');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_14157_1('footnote_plugin_reference_14157_1_1');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_14157_1_1\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">(1)<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_14157_1_1\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\">\u2018<span class=\"citeproc-author\">Pinker, S<\/span>. <span class=\"citeproc-issued\"> (2011)<\/span>. <span class=\"citeproc-title-plus-extra\"><a href=\"https:\/\/stevenpinker.com\/publications\/better-angels-our-nature\" hreflang=\"en\"><em>The Better Angels of our Nature<\/em><\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"citeproc-publisher\">Viking ; <\/span><span class=\"citeproc-author\">Pinker, S<\/span>. <span class=\"citeproc-issued\"> (2018)<\/span>. <span class=\"citeproc-title-plus-extra\"><a href=\"https:\/\/stevenpinker.com\/publications\/enlightenment-now-case-reason-science-humanism-and-progress\" hreflang=\"en\"><em>Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress<\/em><\/a><\/span>. <span class=\"citeproc-publisher\">Viking.<\/span><\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_14157_1_1').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_14157_1_1', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script>, the level of violence around the world has declined substantially. In my own work, I have shown that this is the case even in non-democratic regimes<span class=\"footnote_referrer\"><a role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" onclick=\"footnote_moveToReference_14157_1('footnote_plugin_reference_14157_1_2');\" onkeypress=\"footnote_moveToReference_14157_1('footnote_plugin_reference_14157_1_2');\" ><sup id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_14157_1_2\" class=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text\">(2)<\/sup><\/a><span id=\"footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_14157_1_2\" class=\"footnote_tooltip\"><a href=\"https:\/\/press.princeton.edu\/books\/hardcover\/9780691211411\/spin-dictators\">Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century<\/a>, Sergei Guriev and Daniel Treisman . Princeton University Press 2022.<\/span><\/span><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> jQuery('#footnote_plugin_tooltip_14157_1_2').tooltip({ tip: '#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_14157_1_2', tipClass: 'footnote_tooltip', effect: 'fade', predelay: 0, fadeInSpeed: 200, delay: 400, fadeOutSpeed: 200, position: 'top right', relative: true, offset: [10, 10], });<\/script>.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_14159\" style=\"width: 460px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><a href=\"https:\/\/ourworldindata.org\/war-and-peace\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-14159\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-14159\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Screenshot-2023-03-24-at-15-06-43-War-and-Peace.png\" alt=\"War and Peace after 1945\" width=\"450\" height=\"319\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Screenshot-2023-03-24-at-15-06-43-War-and-Peace.png 733w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Screenshot-2023-03-24-at-15-06-43-War-and-Peace-300x212.png 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Screenshot-2023-03-24-at-15-06-43-War-and-Peace-206x146.png 206w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Screenshot-2023-03-24-at-15-06-43-War-and-Peace-50x35.png 50w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/Screenshot-2023-03-24-at-15-06-43-War-and-Peace-106x75.png 106w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 450px) 100vw, 450px\" \/><\/a><p id=\"caption-attachment-14159\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">War and Peace after 1945. Source; Our World in Data<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Given the impression that the war was a species on the way to extinction, why would scholars choose it as a subject of their research? Was their work driven by their curiosity and would be generally \u2018useless\u2019 from the applied point of view?<br \/>\nUnfortunately, as shown in this issue of the Cogito, despite the secular trend of decline in violence, wars are still very common. While the interstate war in Europe has indeed not happened since 1945, the rest of the world has seen many wars even in recent decades. Studies of peace negotiations, transitional justice, protecting and compensating war victims, peacekeeping operations, unfortunately, have remained very relevant.<br \/>\nThey have become even more important in 2022 when Putin\u2019s army invaded Ukraine. This is not just a large-scale interstate war in Europe. The invading country is the last remaining empire armed with nuclear weapons; its army is one of the largest in the world. Fortunately, Putin has not won this war; but the war has already caused a horrible suffering\u2009\u2013\u2009and is still going on. This is why the articles that constitute this issue are so relevant\u2009\u2013\u2009and immediately useful for understanding this war and its aftermath.<\/p>\n<h4><strong>\u201cWhy War?\u201d \u2013 A Philosophical Question?<\/strong><\/h4>\n<div id=\"attachment_13861\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13861\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-13861 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/military-cemetery-memorial-graveyard-washington-dc-arlington-national-cemetery-964892-pxhere.com_-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Cimeti\u00e8re national d'arlington. Washington DC. Domaine public.\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/military-cemetery-memorial-graveyard-washington-dc-arlington-national-cemetery-964892-pxhere.com_-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/military-cemetery-memorial-graveyard-washington-dc-arlington-national-cemetery-964892-pxhere.com_-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/military-cemetery-memorial-graveyard-washington-dc-arlington-national-cemetery-964892-pxhere.com_-195x146.jpg 195w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/military-cemetery-memorial-graveyard-washington-dc-arlington-national-cemetery-964892-pxhere.com_-50x38.jpg 50w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/military-cemetery-memorial-graveyard-washington-dc-arlington-national-cemetery-964892-pxhere.com_-100x75.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/military-cemetery-memorial-graveyard-washington-dc-arlington-national-cemetery-964892-pxhere.com_.jpg 800w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13861\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arlington National Cemetery. Washington DC. Public Domain.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Cogito starts with Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Gros\u2019 essay on the fundamental question, \u2018why war\u2019? While wars have taken place for thousands of years, to me, as an economist, this has always been a puzzle. War involves an enormous destruction of valuable resources. Victory is highly uncertain\u2009\u2013\u2009and there have been many cases when the parties starting the war lost badly. Economists always argue that wars take place when parties underestimate the opponent\u2019s military might. (And Putin is certainly a great example of this.).On the other hand, it is striking that wars still happen today\u2009\u2013\u2009when information is more accessible and when gains from winning the war are at best very small while the costs are very large.<\/p>\n<p>Fr\u00e9d\u00e9ric Gros answers this question by departing from an individual logic to move towards the logic of the state. While the war brings suffering to the vast majority of individuals involved, it may create a major benefit to the state. In fact, being in a war, the state finds its raison d\u2019\u00eatre, its reason for existence. If there is a war, there is a state. Starting a war can only be done by the state. When the war is started, citizens need a state to win it. Therefore, in order to understand the state, we need to understand the relationship between the citizens and the state. If the state represents the citizens\u2019 interests and only them, wars should be very unlikely\u2009\u2013\u2009hence the famous conjecture of \u2018democratic peace\u2019 which dates back to Kant\u2019s essay \u2018Perpetual Peace\u2019 (1795).Democracies do not engage in wars with other democracies. <span style=\"color: #e6142d;\">Read here<\/span> <i class=\"fas fa-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#e6142d\"><\/i> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/why-war-a-philosophical-question\/?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">\u2018<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/why-war-a-philosophical-question\/?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\"><b>Why War?\u2019\u2009\u2013\u2009A Philosophical Question?<\/b><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Counterterrorism: How to Systematically Fail <\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_13899\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13899\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-13899 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/EXPERTISE_CCC_0049-300x198.jpg\" alt=\"Premi\u00e8re op\u00e9ration de lutte contre le terrorisme INTERPOL-AFRIPOL. Source INTERPOL\" width=\"300\" height=\"198\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/EXPERTISE_CCC_0049-300x198.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/EXPERTISE_CCC_0049-768x507.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/EXPERTISE_CCC_0049-221x146.jpg 221w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/EXPERTISE_CCC_0049-50x33.jpg 50w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/EXPERTISE_CCC_0049-114x75.jpg 114w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/EXPERTISE_CCC_0049.jpg 1024w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13899\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">First counter-terrorism operation INTERPOL-AFRIPOL. Source INTERPOL<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Didier Bigo, however, reminds that democracies have engaged in many military interventions in recent decades\u2009\u2013\u2009mostly pursuing the cause of \u2018counter-terrorism\u2019. Didier explains why counterterrorism operations are so likely to arise\u2009\u2013\u2009but also why they are very likely to fail. Didier documents the consensus among researchers and practitioners that counterterrorism is rarely effective as a means of protecting civilians\u2009\u2013\u2009nor in terms of foreign policy. The reason is that by definition counterterrorism is different from conventional war, in particular, because it is hard to identify the enemy. <span style=\"color: #e6142d;\">Read here<\/span> <i class=\"fas fa-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#e6142d\"><\/i> <b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/counterterrorism-how-to-fail-most-successfully\/?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Counterterrorism: How to Systematically Fail<\/a>.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<p>Putin\u2019s 2022 war is often compared to a terrorist action. His barbarian attacks against Ukrainian cities and energy infrastructure are indeed a typical terrorist rather than a military strategy. In the beginning of the war, Putin tried to take the whole world hostage by blockading Ukrainian grain exports. The research on counterterrorism implies that Ukraine and the West should prioritise (as they are already doing) Russian military targets rather than engage in counterterrorism-like operations on Russian territory.<\/p>\n<p>Essays by Beno\u00eet Pelopidas\u00a0and Sabine Dullin bring us back directly to Putin\u2019s 2022 war.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Addressing Nuclear Vulnerabilities<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_13930\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13930\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-13930 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Operation_Crossroads_Baker_Edit-300x158.jpg\" alt=\"Original: United States Department of Defense (either the U.S. Army or the U.S. Navy) Derivative work: Victorrocha, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons\" width=\"300\" height=\"158\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Operation_Crossroads_Baker_Edit-300x158.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Operation_Crossroads_Baker_Edit-260x137.jpg 260w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Operation_Crossroads_Baker_Edit-50x26.jpg 50w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Operation_Crossroads_Baker_Edit-143x75.jpg 143w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Operation_Crossroads_Baker_Edit.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13930\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Nuclear tests in Polynesia. Source: US Department of Defense. Public Domain<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Beno\u00eet Pelopidas addresses the most important fear we have when we discuss standing up to Putin\u2009\u2013\u2009the fear of nuclear war. Beno\u00eet\u2019s research shows that public opinion is very badly misinformed regarding the world\u2019s nuclear arsenal and the risks of the use of nuclear weapons, not only for their use but simply of possessing them, considering that a flaw or an error cannot be excluded.<br \/>\nHe discusses the intricate relationship between the salience of public debate about the \u2018nuclear option\u2019, the credibility of being ready to use nuclear deterrent, and the trust of the public in nuclear. <span style=\"color: #e6142d;\">Read here<\/span> <i class=\"fas fa-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#e6142d\"><\/i> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/facing-nuclear-vulnerabilities\/?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Facing Nuclear Vulnerabilities<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Imperialism Revealed in the War. Russia Exposed<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Sabine Dullin discusses the other dimension of this war: Russia is one of the last empires (if not the last remaining), and the 2022 war is the imperial war against its former colony\u2019s independence. Both the invasion and Putin\u2019s inability to win his war are triggering demands for further decolonisation of Russia.<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_13946\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13946\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-13946 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-17-at-12-51-45-\u041a\u043e\u0440\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435-\u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0434\u044b-\u0420\u0424-\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0432-\u0432\u043e\u0439\u043d\u044b-@indigenous_in_london-\u2022-Photos-et-videos-Instagram-300x300.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-17-at-12-51-45-\u041a\u043e\u0440\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435-\u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0434\u044b-\u0420\u0424-\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0432-\u0432\u043e\u0439\u043d\u044b-@indigenous_in_london-\u2022-Photos-et-videos-Instagram-300x300.png 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-17-at-12-51-45-\u041a\u043e\u0440\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435-\u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0434\u044b-\u0420\u0424-\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0432-\u0432\u043e\u0439\u043d\u044b-@indigenous_in_london-\u2022-Photos-et-videos-Instagram-150x150.png 150w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-17-at-12-51-45-\u041a\u043e\u0440\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435-\u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0434\u044b-\u0420\u0424-\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0432-\u0432\u043e\u0439\u043d\u044b-@indigenous_in_london-\u2022-Photos-et-videos-Instagram-146x146.png 146w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-17-at-12-51-45-\u041a\u043e\u0440\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435-\u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0434\u044b-\u0420\u0424-\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0432-\u0432\u043e\u0439\u043d\u044b-@indigenous_in_london-\u2022-Photos-et-videos-Instagram-50x50.png 50w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-17-at-12-51-45-\u041a\u043e\u0440\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435-\u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0434\u044b-\u0420\u0424-\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0432-\u0432\u043e\u0439\u043d\u044b-@indigenous_in_london-\u2022-Photos-et-videos-Instagram-75x75.png 75w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-17-at-12-51-45-\u041a\u043e\u0440\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435-\u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0434\u044b-\u0420\u0424-\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0432-\u0432\u043e\u0439\u043d\u044b-@indigenous_in_london-\u2022-Photos-et-videos-Instagram-85x85.png 85w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-17-at-12-51-45-\u041a\u043e\u0440\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435-\u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0434\u044b-\u0420\u0424-\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0432-\u0432\u043e\u0439\u043d\u044b-@indigenous_in_london-\u2022-Photos-et-videos-Instagram-80x80.png 80w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-17-at-12-51-45-\u041a\u043e\u0440\u0435\u043d\u043d\u044b\u0435-\u043d\u0430\u0440\u043e\u0434\u044b-\u0420\u0424-\u043f\u0440\u043e\u0442\u0438\u0432-\u0432\u043e\u0439\u043d\u044b-@indigenous_in_london-\u2022-Photos-et-videos-Instagram.png 351w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13946\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Instragram &#8211; Indigenous peoples of Russia against the war (based in London, UK).<\/p><\/div>\n<p>While Russia today is much smaller than the Tsarist or Soviet empire, Russian \u2018Federation\u2019 still includes many ethnic \u2018republics\u2019 that may want to opt for real autonomy or full independence. The war has suddenly surfaced this debate and, as Sabine writes, 2023 is already considered by a number of indigenous citizens of the Russian Federation as the \u2018year of decolonisation\u2019. <span style=\"color: #e6142d;\">Read here<\/span> <i class=\"fas fa-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#e6142d\"><\/i> <b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/imperialism-revealed-in-the-war-russia-exposed\/?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Imperialism Revealed in theWar. Russia Exposed<\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Armed Conflict: The Growing Impact of International Law<\/strong><\/h3>\n<div id=\"attachment_13978\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13978\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"size-medium wp-image-13978\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/people-military-soldier-army-community-communication-870283-pxhere.com_-300x225.jpg\" alt=\"Taliban, Creative Commons CC0.\" width=\"300\" height=\"225\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/people-military-soldier-army-community-communication-870283-pxhere.com_-300x225.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/people-military-soldier-army-community-communication-870283-pxhere.com_-195x146.jpg 195w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/people-military-soldier-army-community-communication-870283-pxhere.com_-50x38.jpg 50w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/people-military-soldier-army-community-communication-870283-pxhere.com_-100x75.jpg 100w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/people-military-soldier-army-community-communication-870283-pxhere.com_.jpg 720w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13978\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Taliban, Creative Commons CC0.<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The article by Adam Baczko responds to another question raised by Putin\u2019s invasion. Does his blatant violation of international law mean that international law does not exist\u2009\u2013\u2009or does not matter? On the contrary, Adam argues, in recent decades, international law has grown ever more important for all its perpetrators\u2009\u2013\u2009who are increasingly aware of its existence and are investing more efforts in trying to circumvent it. This is evidence that international law is as sophisticated and as binding as ever. Adam also discusses the role of social media which makes hiding violations of international law very difficult. <span style=\"color: #e6142d;\">Read here<\/span> <i class=\"fas fa-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#e6142d\"><\/i>: <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/armed-conflict-the-growing-impact-of-international-law\/?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Armed Conflict: the Growing Impact of International Law<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n<h3><strong>Regarding The Effectiveness of Transitional Justice<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>Helena Alviar Garcia and Julie Saada examine another fundamental aspect of war justice aiming to pacify societies torn by conflict.<\/p>\n<p>Helena Alviar Garcia studies transitional justice for victims of the war, losing their property, including homes. Helena discusses the advantages and shortcomings of alternative ways for compensating the losses, in particular payment of reparations or rebuilding the destroyed assets. <span style=\"color: #e6142d;\">Read here<\/span> <i class=\"fas fa-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#e6142d\"><\/i> <b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/transitional-justice-and-property-inextricably-linked\/?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Transitional Justice and Property: Inextricably Linked<\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_13965\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignright\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13965\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-13965 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-17-at-16-12-59-Gambie-lONU-en-faveur-de-poursuites-contre-les-auteurs-des-crimes-de-lere-Jammeh-TRIAL-International-300x219.png\" alt=\"La d\u00e9cision de l\u2019organe onusien est un signe d\u2019espoir pour toutes les personnes qui sont sans nouvelles de proches disparus sous Jammeh en Gambie. \u00a9 Jason Florio \/ TRIAL International\" width=\"300\" height=\"219\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-17-at-16-12-59-Gambie-lONU-en-faveur-de-poursuites-contre-les-auteurs-des-crimes-de-lere-Jammeh-TRIAL-International-300x219.png 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-17-at-16-12-59-Gambie-lONU-en-faveur-de-poursuites-contre-les-auteurs-des-crimes-de-lere-Jammeh-TRIAL-International-200x146.png 200w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-17-at-16-12-59-Gambie-lONU-en-faveur-de-poursuites-contre-les-auteurs-des-crimes-de-lere-Jammeh-TRIAL-International-50x37.png 50w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-17-at-16-12-59-Gambie-lONU-en-faveur-de-poursuites-contre-les-auteurs-des-crimes-de-lere-Jammeh-TRIAL-International-103x75.png 103w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/Screenshot-2023-02-17-at-16-12-59-Gambie-lONU-en-faveur-de-poursuites-contre-les-auteurs-des-crimes-de-lere-Jammeh-TRIAL-International.png 634w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13965\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">No news of relatives missing under Jammeh in Gambia. \u00a9 Jason Florio \/ TRIAL International<\/p><\/div>\n<p>Julie Saada discusses the trade-off\u2009\u2013\u2009or even dilemma\u2009\u2013\u2009between the search for truth and the establishment of justice in the context of war crimes. Some critics argue that in order to uncover the truth, we need to offer amnesty and thus forego justice. In today\u2019s world, however, and especially in the context of the 2022 war in Ukraine, the first large-scale war in the era of social media, it is very likely that we will be able to establish individual crimes. Julie compares this situation to the Nuremberg judgment which demonstrated that these kinds of trials not only can exact justice; they also make it possible to avoid revenge against the whole group. This <i>per se<\/i> can help post-war reconciliation between nations. This is why truth and justice are not only compatible; the combination of the two is highly desirable. <span style=\"color: #e6142d;\">Read here<\/span> <i class=\"fas fa-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#e6142d\"><\/i> <b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/truth-without-justice-law-in-the-face-of-mass-crimes\/?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Truth Without Justice? The Law and Mass Crimes<\/a>.<\/b><\/p>\n<h3><strong>UN Peacekeeping: 3 Strategies On the Ground<br \/>\n<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>While one cannot predict how the war of Russia against Ukraine is going to end, it is not unlikely that we will need the intervention of UN peacekeepers. Chiarra Ruffa\u2019s article provides a data-rich discussion of the history of UN peacekeeping and argues that it has mostly been a success\u2009\u2013\u2009well beyond the conventional wisdom. Chiarra also discusses the growing t diversity and heterogeneity of UN peacekeeping missions, which often poses problems of cooperation between troops of different cultures. Based on field observations, it presents the three strategies used by the soldiers to cope with this diversity and analyses their impact and the key factors of success, in particular, the meaning-making. <span style=\"color: #e6142d;\">Read here<\/span> <i class=\"fas fa-arrow-right\" style=\"color:#e6142d\"><\/i> <b><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/un-peacekeeping-three-strategies-on-the-ground\/?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">UN Peacekeeping: 3 Strategies On the Ground<\/a>.\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_13995\" style=\"width: 310px\" class=\"wp-caption alignleft\"><img aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-13995\" decoding=\"async\" loading=\"lazy\" class=\"wp-image-13995 size-medium\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/35165307714_6fc615944f_c-300x200.jpg\" alt=\"Les casques Bleus de la MINUSMA, lors de l'op\u00e9ration militaire \u00ab FRELANA \u00bb pour prot\u00e9ger les civils et leurs biens. Photo: MINUSMA \/ Harandane Dicko\" width=\"300\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/35165307714_6fc615944f_c-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/35165307714_6fc615944f_c-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/35165307714_6fc615944f_c-219x146.jpg 219w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/35165307714_6fc615944f_c-50x33.jpg 50w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/35165307714_6fc615944f_c-112x75.jpg 112w, https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/02\/35165307714_6fc615944f_c.jpg 799w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><p id=\"caption-attachment-13995\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">MINUSMA Blue Helmets during military operation \u201cFRELANA\u201d to protect civilians and their property. Photo: MINUSMA\/ Harandane Dicko<\/p><\/div>\n<p>The meaning of Putin\u2019s invasion of Ukraine is very clear; there is no ambiguity on where there is good and where there is evil in this war. Unfortunately, the scholars of war and conflicts\u2009\u2013\u2009in particular those, whose work is featured in this issue of the Cogito\u2009\u2013\u2009continue to produce useful rather than useless knowledge. Let\u2019s hope that this will change in the future.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, I have to point out that this dossier is a small overview of research conducted at Sciences Po by some <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/researchers-and-phd-candidates-working-on-armed-conflicts\/?lang=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">thirty researchers and more than twenty-five PhD students<\/a><\/strong> from all disciplines whose work deals with conflict.<\/p>\n<pre><a href=\"https:\/\/sites.google.com\/site\/sguriev\/home?authuser=0\">Sergei Guriev<\/a>, Sciences Po's Provost, is a researcher at the Department of Economics. His research focuses on political economy, development economics, labour mobility and contract theory.<\/pre>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<div class=\"speaker-mute footnotes_reference_container\"> <div class=\"footnote_container_prepare\"><p><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_label pointer\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_14157_1();\">Notes<\/span><span role=\"button\" tabindex=\"0\" class=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button\" style=\"display: none;\" onclick=\"footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_14157_1();\">[<a id=\"footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_14157_1\">+<\/a>]<\/span><\/p><\/div> <div id=\"footnote_references_container_14157_1\" style=\"\"><table class=\"footnotes_table footnote-reference-container\"><caption class=\"accessibility\">Notes<\/caption> <tbody> \r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_14157_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_14157_1_1');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_14157_1_1\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>1<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\">\u2018<span class=\"citeproc-author\">Pinker, S<\/span>. <span class=\"citeproc-issued\"> (2011)<\/span>. <span class=\"citeproc-title-plus-extra\"><a href=\"https:\/\/stevenpinker.com\/publications\/better-angels-our-nature\" hreflang=\"en\"><em>The Better Angels of our Nature<\/em><\/a><\/span>, <span class=\"citeproc-publisher\">Viking ; <\/span><span class=\"citeproc-author\">Pinker, S<\/span>. <span class=\"citeproc-issued\"> (2018)<\/span>. <span class=\"citeproc-title-plus-extra\"><a href=\"https:\/\/stevenpinker.com\/publications\/enlightenment-now-case-reason-science-humanism-and-progress\" hreflang=\"en\"><em>Enlightenment Now: The Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress<\/em><\/a><\/span>. <span class=\"citeproc-publisher\">Viking.<\/span><\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n<tr class=\"footnotes_plugin_reference_row\"> <th scope=\"row\" class=\"footnote_plugin_index_combi pointer\"  onclick=\"footnote_moveToAnchor_14157_1('footnote_plugin_tooltip_14157_1_2');\"><a id=\"footnote_plugin_reference_14157_1_2\" class=\"footnote_backlink\"><span class=\"footnote_index_arrow\">&#8593;<\/span>2<\/a><\/th> <td class=\"footnote_plugin_text\"><a href=\"https:\/\/press.princeton.edu\/books\/hardcover\/9780691211411\/spin-dictators\">Spin Dictators: The Changing Face of Tyranny in the 21st Century<\/a>, Sergei Guriev and Daniel Treisman . Princeton University Press 2022.<\/td><\/tr>\r\n\r\n <\/tbody> <\/table> <\/div><\/div><script type=\"text\/javascript\"> function footnote_expand_reference_container_14157_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_14157_1').show(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_14157_1').text('\u2212'); } function footnote_collapse_reference_container_14157_1() { jQuery('#footnote_references_container_14157_1').hide(); jQuery('#footnote_reference_container_collapse_button_14157_1').text('+'); } function footnote_expand_collapse_reference_container_14157_1() { if (jQuery('#footnote_references_container_14157_1').is(':hidden')) { footnote_expand_reference_container_14157_1(); } else { footnote_collapse_reference_container_14157_1(); } } function footnote_moveToReference_14157_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_14157_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } } function footnote_moveToAnchor_14157_1(p_str_TargetID) { footnote_expand_reference_container_14157_1(); var l_obj_Target = jQuery('#' + p_str_TargetID); if (l_obj_Target.length) { jQuery( 'html, body' ).delay( 0 ); jQuery('html, body').animate({ scrollTop: l_obj_Target.offset().top - window.innerHeight * 0.2 }, 380); } }<\/script>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Sergue\u00ef Guriev In his 1939 famous essay \u2018The Usefulness of Useless Knowledge\u2019, Abraham Flexner, the founding director of the Institute for Advanced Study in<span class=\"excerpt-hellip\"> [\u2026]<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":14019,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,310],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14157\/?lang=en"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/?lang=en"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post\/?lang=en"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3\/?lang=en"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments\/?lang=en&post=14157"}],"version-history":[{"count":24,"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14157\/revisions\/?lang=en"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":14239,"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/14157\/revisions\/14239\/?lang=en"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/14019\/?lang=en"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/?lang=en&parent=14157"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories\/?lang=en&post=14157"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sciencespo.fr\/research\/cogito\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags\/?lang=en&post=14157"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}