What you'll learn:

Lecture 1: War and the World-System

Contextualizing systems of violence through a historical lens.

• what is war and why does it exist?
• colonialism, imperialism, capitalism
• war and global injustice
• people’s war as the weapon of the oppressed

Lecture 2: Capitalism and the Economy of War

Understand the ways in which the global economic system interacts with war.

• militarism and the arms industry
• border regimes
• surveillance capitalism
• labour and class struggle

Lecture 3: Methods of War

Expand knowledge of the scale of modern warfare conduct beyond ‘hot wars’.

• secret wars: intelligence and covert action
• counterinsurgency and counterterrorism
• cognitive warfare: the battle for the human mind
• the future of war: AI, drones, and beyond

Lecture 4: War and Society

Deepen understanding about the wider societal, cultural, and economic impact of war for communities and in everyday life.

• war and societal culture
• patriarchy, nationalism, and fascism
• blurred lines and war crimes
• militarism in everyday life

Lecture 5: A World without War: Peace as a Revolutionary Horizon

Think of peace as a radical political struggle, connected to system change.

• false solutions: peace on the oppressors’ terms
• quests for justice and truth
• censorship, policing, and criminalisation of anti-war action
• peace as an internationalist effort