This exhaustive collection of essays addresses the historical, cultural, and political views on war and peace worldwide. It gives modern readings of ancient philosophers like Heraclitus, Renaissance writers like Niccolo Machiavelli and Michel de Montaigne, and more contemporary thinkers like Immanuel Kant and Friedrich Nietzsche. Its cultural analysis spans from ancient China to the middle ages to the present day. By demonstrating that some of our interpretations of famous texts are inherently flawed, this work challenges the roots of our most fundamental ideas about conflict and justice. In addition to the cultural and religious beliefs that underlie a call to arms, these essays consider our contemporary political view of war and peace.