Clausewitz And Other Prophets: Beatrice Heuser

The summary on the article “Ends, Ways, Means: Clausewitz and other Prophets” by Heuser, Beatrice, tells about that world is difficult to understand where everything is confusing where mostly teachers or prophets can explain everything to lower ranks. Many teachers are keeping us to remind what they taught and told to us until it came to the point that they should prove it without making any mistakes. Whole religions have been constructed to strengthen the legality of prophets where they are proclaimed to be the deity to have confidence on all surpassing knowledge. Great teachers are people whose perception of their era and some of its problems impresses others to be wise where proving the truth which others did not discovered.

In this context, there is a difference between actions and human interpretation of these actions. The process of interpretation, of explaining what is going around us with words and concepts has a hidden problem or trick. Reflection has much explanations where teachers, philosophers and prophets understands this particular selective interpretation. The general explanation and the general rule that a teacher/prophets/philosopher can conclude on it and are usually expressed in terms of which suggest timeless application. Where in reality it deals with particular circumstances. Every general explanation, every prophecy is the product of reflection on the particular circumstances of the times in which it is created. Clausewitz told us that he wanted nothing to do with generals who wants to avoid battle and bloodshed, he was crouching the bitter experience of Prussia in his own time.

There is a general consensus that Clausewitz had original insights of great wisdom, but all of these were developed by him on the basis of the particular experiences on his own times. This tells about the history of his own during war times. Through his experiences, some ideas which continue to be very stimulating and which are usually attributed to Clausewitz had been articulated by others long before him. Clausewitz has his aims of war where he pushed that war is the best way to achieve peace. Clausewitz also pointed out that in fact not all wars are fought for victory, or the absolute crushing of the enemy but because of political aspects why war has been executed. It was stated also in the article that don’t think of Clausewitz as infallible prophet of Mars, or fount of timeless truths wherein he failed to discuss other aspects that may contribute why war has started considering the fact that a war is not just by political issues but also concerning on economic, social, financial or logistics, technology and others which are the reasons of war.

Critique/Evaluation

In the article of “Ends, Ways, Means: Clausewitz and other Prophets”, Clausewitz aims to balance the concept of strategy by working on ends, ways and means to be equal. But he failed to do it because he only focused on the political aspects where he just pointed out and emphasized war as the effect of political misconception with the enemy. Though it is better to read this because you will learn more about this article that in every war, there are ends, ways and means that surely you will get the idea of what is the purpose of this concept and how it is connected with ways and means.

The purpose of ends affects the goal or aim that ways should be linked and connected in order to sustain a balanced strategy. And also to complete the perfect concept of strategy will adhere to what is the best means to conceptualize it. But on the other hand, it is hard to achieve it if you do not link them and one is missing. Every teachers or prophet have different ideas that tickle their mind and sometimes forgot to balance the concept of strategy that is why they fail to achieve success. I can only say that Clausewitz should not think not only in one side or perceive and focuses on it but also should think of some aspects in order to be perfect and infallible. Clausewitz must be very mindful and look for other resort and ideas that will also help his conceptualization be more effective and influencing.

Reaction

Clausewitz who is known and stressed moral and political aspects of war as being one of the great strategists ever existed is a one of a kind creature that is impossible to defeat his way of thinking. As a future military officer, learning the concept of ends, ways and means give me an idea how to balance a perfect strategy by keeping the means to achieve the objective and how to sustain the ways and manage the resources for its means.

The author emphasized that teachers are the best medium to extend knowledge with others because they ought to be a perfect one that will meet their standard. The best thing in this article is that it keeps us in mind that all knowledge that we learned were delivered to us by our teachers which they know at the first place that we will not easily understand the thoughts that they keep us to instill even though our mind is full of misconception and queries.

The article is about the ends, ways and means by the concept of Clausewitz which he aims to deliver the sole purpose of ends through achieving its objective. The concept of this focuses on the strategy that to reach a perfect and manageable end, you should have the best motive to do this to become moral and attain success. Through his experiences, these techniques were developed because he was able to learn something that is purposely helpful to his ideas and strategy. It will explain how we reflect ourselves into a situation that we can able to surpass and find ways on what to do with the certain things. There are circumstances that will eventually sink in your mind and solve on how to win this situation despite your experiences will reflect during the time that you are in doubt. This time, you finally make an action to resolve the situation and look for a possible means to escape and win the situation. This will form a perfect and unbeatable strategy that for sure you will not easily get lost and will achieve success.

It came to my attention that this article focused only on the political aspects which Clausewitz was unable to discuss and consider some points that also cause war. This gave me time to realize that Clausewitz is very meticulous in one thing only and focuses on the thing that has a higher efficiency. Clausewitz is not just an ordinary human being but he inspires many people who believe in his works, principles and concepts that are applicable in real life situation even nowadays.

Summary

Ends, ways and means are the perfect elements to achieve a perfect strategy. Clausewitz never fails us to disappoint the readers where the author used the teachers as the medium of delivering the ideas and writings of Clausewitz. Clausewitz purpose is to make us learn that at the end of the day, we are applying his concept and finding ways on how to spread his works and writings that other people may benefit from it. But because we have a lot of resources, there are so many means to utilize the resources for us to be more knowledgeable and be a great strategist someday. Therefore we should apply all our experiences and reflect ourselves on the situation we had been through so that we can take actions and give explanations and interpretations to enlighten our mind to achieve success towards another.