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1. Definition of War
According to Harper (2016), the word war comes from the late Old English wyrre or
werre which means large-scale military conflict. The word may also have been derived from
the Old French word guerre which translates to difficulty, dispute, hostility, etc. The German
word verwirren means to confuse or perplex, from which cognates propose that the original
sense of the word was to bring confusion. 1
Cicero (1625) provided a definition for war in which he designated the word as a
condition and not a contest. And thus, according to him, war is the condition of those
contending by force.2 In addition to this, Thomas Hobbes asserts that war is also an attitude
wherein he described war as a state of affairs, which may exist even while its operations are not
continued. For Denis Diderot, war is a convulsive and violent disease of the body politic, and
so on. Each of these definitions has its strengths and weaknesses, however, it is apparent that
each gratifies to the writers philosophical position.3
A. Causes of War
In a nutshell, war occurs as a consequence of certain ideas and aims, that when widely
accepted by the people of a given society, give rise to corresponding norms that may lead to war.
According to Biddle (2014), the fundamental causes of war are statism, collectivism, altruism,
mysticism, and evasion.4
Statism refers to the belief that the state has a right to force its people to act against
their judgement for the sake of some greater good.
Collectivism refers to the concept that the individuals identity is the personal
belonging of some group or collective, which then cause the said individual to think
or act accordingly with the dictates of the group.
Altruism denotes the concept of selfless service in a manner that does not allow the
individual to acquire advances in personal values or net profit. Rather, altruism entails
service that disparages personal values and leaves the individual with a net loss.
1 http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=war
2 http://lonang.com/library/reference/grotius-law-war-and-peace/gro-101/
3 http://www.iep.utm.edu/war/
4 https://www.theobjectivestandard.com/2014/10/causes-war-peace/

 Mysticism refers to the notion that knowledge is acquirable through non-rational

means such as faith, revelation, etc., or any other form of just knowing.
Evasion the refusal to face reality and acknowledge relevant facts.
B. Kinds of War
According to Eckbaull (2009), wars can be classified as:5
Hegemonic War is also referred to as global war, world war or systemic war. This type
of war aims to gain control of the entire world order.
Total War is the warfare of one state to conquer and occupy another. In total war, the
entire society of the enemy is seen as a legitimate targetwherein the ultimate goal is
to reach the capital city and coerce the governments surrender.
Limited War does not aim to coerce the surrender of the government nor does it aim
the occupation of the enemy. Many border wars manifest this characteristic, wherein
after occupying the land the conquerors want, operations may stop altogether and the
state will only resume to defend its gains.
Civil War refers to war between factions within a state trying to create, or prevent, a
new government for the entire state or some territorial part of it.
Guerilla War aims to subject the enemy to gradual harassment and punishments in
order to limit its operations and eventually liberate the territory from the enemys
control. Guerilla wars are ran by irregular forces that usually operate under the
protection of civilian populations.
C. Effects of War
II. Wars in Central Asia

5 http://ezinearticles.com/?Types-of-War&id=2269121