The long shadow of war. Law and peace in Sergio Cotta’s philosophy

Abstract

The impressive return of war renews studies on its nature. At the root of many reflections on war lies a certain anthropology that presumes itself to be necessary. Sergio Cotta, a philosopher of law, refutes the validity of this anthropology based on the naturalness of conflict, and contrasts it with another anthropology, built on the capacity for dialogue and the necessity of the relationship between human beings. This paper aims, after a brief overview of the first anthropological paradigm, to outline the principal aspects of Cotta’s philosophical thought on war and peace.