Peering into the abyss. Book review of ‘Why war?’ by R. Overy

Abstract

For a long time, scientists have been trying to find the root causes of violence and conflicts in the relations between people and communities. The book under review ‘Why war?’ by the British historian R.J. Overy, published in 2024, also delves into these questions. Building on an interdisciplinary approach, the author examines possible prerequisites for war, ranging from biological factors and psychological aspects of individual and group decision-making to the aspiration for dominance and control over resources. R.J. Overy concludes that none of these factors should be overstated; rather, there is a complex combination of various socio-economic, political, psychological, and other reasons that create incentives for states to wage wars. The reviewer concludes that although the monograph has a number of shortcomings, related in particular to the somewhat superficial manner of the author’s reasoning regarding the problems of natural sciences, it can be recommended to political scientists, historians, and international experts as a starting point for further, more profound study of this, unfortunately, still relevant topic.