War, Power and the Enlightenment

This article reconsiders the relationship between Enlightenment thought, international relations, and warfare in the eighteenth century. It argues that historians have often emphasized ideals and discourse while overlooking the practical realities of conflict and state power. Rather than producing a more humane form of warfare, Enlightenment-era rationalization frequently enhanced military efficiency through advances in administration, science, and organization. The article highlights the tension between ideals and practice, suggesting that the enduring legacy of the Enlightenment lay less in universal humanitarian principles than in new capacities to mobilize resources, manage information, and project power on a global scale.