The beginning of the 20th century witnessed the rise of two World Wars, events that profoundly changed the world. These conflicts also altered the perspective of everyone who lived afterward, instilling a fear that another World War could occur. However, some individuals foresaw the devastating impact of a global conflict even earlier. Perhaps the best example is Norman Angell’s 1910 book, The Great Illusion, written four years before the outbreak of the First World War.
Norman Angell, a British politician and journalist, argued in his book that military power does not enhance a nation’s economic or cultural well-being. He criticized the “war philosophy” of quick, decisive campaigns and exposed the interconnected illusions that fueled war, from economic and political justifications to biological and psychological beliefs.
Angell highlighted the catastrophic costs of war—extending far beyond direct violence. He emphasized the deeply rooted cultural and psychological paradigms that perpetuate organized violence. From the “white man’s burden” to Social Darwinism, Angell dissected the historical, economic, and moral arguments supporting war, demonstrating how these beliefs create a feedback loop that sustains the war system.
Although it was not able to stop the two World Wars, Angell’s insights remain strikingly relevant. He argued that societal systems—not just individuals—bear the greatest costs of war, including environmental damage in today’s context. His work calls for a reevaluation of cultural paradigms and the abandonment of the “great illusion” that war is either inevitable or beneficial.
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