The rapidly shifting geopolitcal landscape of recent years is straining efforts to contain ongoing conflicts, notably Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the war in Israel and Gaza, both of which risk involving additional countries in these regions.
At critical historical moments like these, humanity often questions the nature of war and the reasons for its existence. Today, we must consider whether contemporary wars seem to be characterised by the systematic use of terror. Whereas in past decades we used to distinguish between terrorism and war, today it increasingly appears that these two categories have collapsed into one.
Contemporary wars look like ‘terror wars’, due to the disproportion of forces between the two parties in war, and the adoption of a criminal policy by political leaders that weaponise terror and launch ruthless, lawless attacks on civilians in both the military and political/civil fields. This reality is compounded by the war industry’s massive production capabilities, the destructive potential of nuclear weapons, and significant technological advancements that amplify humanity’s capacity for devastation.
There is currently no comprehensive theory in analytical psychology that addresses social phenomena such as war and terrorism. Carl Gustav Jung’s insights on war and politics are scattered across various texts and do not form a cohesive theory on the subject. While Jung did not specifically theorize about such phenomena and group psychology, he was politically aware and engaged with the events of his time, offering numerous comments on war throughout his writings.
In this paper, I will explore Jung’s reflections on war, alongside the works of post-Jungian scholars on war and terror, to attempt to develop a clearer understanding of contemporary “terror wars” and their evolution.
