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INTERVIEW. In his latest book, the philosopher, a disciple of Michel Foucault, re-examines the notion of “war” in the light of the conflict in Ukraine.
By Francois-Guillaume Lorrain
© Joel Saget/AFP
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Le title of the book – Why the war?* – sounds like a child’s question. But, as Frédéric Gros reminds us, philosophy enjoys starting with children’s questions, taking them very seriously in order to deal with them rationally. In times of peace, one would not ask: why peace? So why do we say: why war? In 162 pages as clear as they are dense, Gros, in the tradition of a Raymond Aron – Peace and war between nations – unravels this mystery of a dark part of humanity. This 55-year-old philosopher discovered by the general public in 2017 with Disobey (Albin Michel) never thinks far away from his time. The war in Ukraine prompted him to return to a subject he had once treated as a disciple of Michel Foucault, with two books, States of…
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