Publication Date: 2026
Journal Name: Revista Polis
Abstract
Mainstream analyses of the Russia-Ukraine war frequently rely on classical realism, constructivism, or Marxian models; these theories focus primarily on rational action and material interest. The present paper underscores a deeper phenomenological dimension of conflict. More precisely, it turns to the philosophy of Simone Weil, drawing from her reading of Homer’s Iliad. This analysis uncovers the metaphysical nature of ‘might’ (la force), an overwhelming power that dehumanises all who come into contact with it. Might does not simply refer to physical coercion; ontologically, it is autonomous and operates beyond geopolitical necessity or rational judgment. Might petrifies both victims and aggressors, stripping them of moral agency. Applying this ontology to modern European defence policies (specifically rearmament and military deterrence), the study warns that political elites risk absorbing the very pathologies they fight against, sleepwalking into systemic escalation. To counter this destructive dynamic, the article explores Weil’s readings of Aeschylus (Prometheus Bound and The Suppliants). Through the concept of ‘Promethean recognition’, which implies an awareness of universal human vulnerability, the paper supplies a normative counterweight rooted in an ethic of self-limitation. In short, the paper demonstrates that preventing total annihilation requires moving beyond military mastery to sustain the intermediate spaces of ethical interaction.