The Clausewitzian Trinity in the Information Age: A Just War Approach

Abstract

Clausewitz's ‘remarkable trinity’ has long been a touchstone for discourse on the military's strategic position relative to other essential elements of Western society. Similarly, the just war tradition has long been a touchstone for moral discourse on war. Although these touchstones represent two intellectual traditions which may appear to have little or nothing in common, the 21st-century strategist or policymaker must take into account the imperatives of both traditions. This is so because, in the Information Age, public reactions to perceived moral shortcomings associated with the decision to go to war, or with perceived moral lapses on the battlefield, can significantly disrupt the balance which the ‘remarkable trinity’ requires. Accordingly, this study takes as its task to propose a model which accommodates the concerns of both traditions. It first examines both formulations of Clausewitz's ‘remarkable trinity’ and then proposes a revised model of the ‘remarkable trinity’ which accommodates just war concerns. It concludes with some reflections on contemporary applications of the model, especially as it relates to the instruments of national power.