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The meaning of ‘Military Genius’ in Clausewitz's On War

Lim Ik-soon 1

1육군

Accredited

ABSTRACT

The purpose of this paper is research that how to Clausewitz figure out the concept of ‘Military Genius’ in On War through analyzing for the nature of war and developing the war theory, and that what is the ‘Military Genius’, and that which meaning and implication is for today. Clausewitz’s perspective in developing for war and ‘Military Genius’ was searching for nature factors in variety and complicated phenomena of war by Montesquieu’s analysis - synthesis method for searching of type of a political structure in The Spirit of Laws. In the flow of history, Clausewitz spread out the logic that borrowing the thought and format from Kant and Hegel through core value of Enlightenment - reason, empiricism, science, universalism, freedom, simplicity of human nature. The concept of ‘Military Genius’ is the outcome that Clausewitz developed the logic about correlation between the appeared genius in war phenomena and unique traits of genius and artist in Kant’s Critique of Judgment. Clausewitz accepted the thought of Kant’s Theory of Genius and Theory of Art and A. Gerard’s opinion. But, Clausewitz explained the mental capacity in his own ward re-interpreting unique trait for Military Genius in war phenomenon that distinguish Kant’s genius in the Theory of Art. The Meaning of Military Genius in On War is that he is the existence of playing a main part for maintaining maximum freedom and balance to element of trinity as the arbitrating exist. And that he play a center part for developing the victorious strategy thinking over all physical and mental elements, passing through the total phenomenon world in war. And he has to dominate the uncertainty through the courage as private mental capacity and a piercing eye(coup d’ oeil), determination, equanimity, the power of self-control, sense of topography as supreme commander. And he has to play a center part for victory and implementing the strategy through fostered the total force’s team spirits and demonstrating the fearlessness. Given the implicature for us today by Clausewitz’s On War and ‘Military Genius’ is that we can control and overcome the uncertainty because the uncertainty can’t be eliminated forever. And to the soldier, in commanding war, private mental capacity is the highest value in any war. Furthermore, it’s also very important for military’s team spirit and commander’s fearlessness in war. In addition, it’s very important value today that we have to right understand trinity as the harmony of nature element in war.

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