Abstract

This article is an attempt to discuss possible causal relationships between ‘war’ and ‘democracy’. One can ask: What is the impact of wars on democracies – and what is the effect of a state’s democratic nature on its behaviour with respect to war? If we add the distinction between ‘socialization’ and ‘selection’, we realize that four key questions arise. All four questions are discussed here on the basis of theoretical reflections taken from the history of social thought and with reference to contemporary developments.