The Social Science of Carl von Clausewitz

Carl von Clausewitzs great, unfinished book On War is well-known as being prone to misinterpretation and distortion. At the risk of adding to the veritable cottage industry of distortion, this article attempts to add conceptual clarity by demonstrating that Clausewitz was formulating a social science approach before that terminology and discipline had emerged. Linking Clausewitzian analysis to contemporary social science is appropriate because both aim for greater precision in fields that appear to defy a scientific approach. Before proceeding with that task, however, it is appropriate to review some of the common misunderstandings concerning Clausewitz, explaining some of the reasons for them. The discussion then will show that by casting Clausewitzs framework as a social science, one can resolve many apparent contradictions in his ideas.