On the warpath: the psychology of public support for armed action

In: Oxford scholarship online

In: Psychology

Abstract

This text unpacks the reasons why ordinary citizens often and willingly support war in the West and elsewhere. It explores topics such as the personal appeal of war and wartime, the role of nationalism and other values in defense of which wars are fought, war as a male enterprise, images of the enemy, militarism and society, the role of propaganda, and the moral dilemma posed by war.