“War is not the continuation of politics with different means, it is the greatest mass-crime perpetrated on the community of man.”
- February 7, 1870 – May 28, 1937
- Austrian
- Psychotherapist, Medical Doctor, Founder of Individual Psychology
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Quote
“War is not the continuation of politics with different means, it is the greatest mass-crime perpetrated on the community of man.”
Explanation
In this quote, Alfred Adler directly refutes the famous claim by Carl von Clausewitz that war is merely the continuation of politics by other means. Instead, Adler redefines war as a moral atrocity, a mass-crime against humanity that shatters the very principles of community and cooperation. By rejecting the idea that war is a rational extension of statecraft, he underscores its inhumanity, destructiveness, and ethical bankruptcy.
Adler formulated many of his ideas in the traumatic aftermath of World War I, when nationalism, imperial ambition, and political rhetoric had led to catastrophic loss of life. He saw war not as a calculated decision, but as a psychological regression—a product of collective inferiority complexes, fear, and the breakdown of social interest. In Adler’s framework, the health of a society depends on its ability to foster mutual respect and peaceful collaboration, and war represents the total collapse of these ideals.
Today, this quote resonates powerfully in light of modern warfare, civilian casualties, and the long-term trauma inflicted on societies. Rather than romanticizing war or justifying it as strategic necessity, Adler demands that we view it through the lens of human unity and ethical responsibility. His words challenge leaders and citizens to recognize that true political maturity lies not in dominance, but in the preservation of human dignity and peace.
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