Bret Devereaux

Today was the Clausewitz lecture day for my class and teaching Clausewitz while writing (for the blog) about ancient religion is an odd experience. I was struck by how much a class on Clausewitz is like an initiation into some sort of mystery cult. Stick with me here.. 1/7

So, first you have the students read an esoteric text, translated out of a language most/all of them cannot read and which they are not expected to really understand at first. I tell my students they should expect to read it twice, once before and again after the lecture... 2/7

Honestly, I don't think anyone really grasps Clausewitz at the first reading without having it explained to them. I certainly didn't. So then the students come in on Clausewitz day, either thinking (wrongly) they understand Clausewitz, or knowing that they don't... 3/7

Then, over the course of the lecture, you unravel the exegesis of the scripture: the ideal of war, reciprocal actions, friction, 'by other means' and so on The entire thing even culminates in revelation of the mystery of war as both constant and chameleon, 1 and yet 3... 4/7