Comments on: Clausewitz, On War, Book 2: The Oblique Order, the Road Not Taken, and the Black Swan http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/6688.html Some Chicago Boyz know each other from student days at the University of Chicago. Others are Chicago boys in spirit. The blog name is also intended as a good-humored gesture of admiration for distinguished Chicago boys including those pictured above. Sun, 21 Mar 2010 13:02:13 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Jim Bennett http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/6688.html/comment-page-1#comment-292352 Jim Bennett Sun, 25 Jan 2009 17:00:13 +0000 http://chicagoboyz.net/?p=6688#comment-292352 "The essential difference is that war is not an exercise of the will directed at inanimate matter, as is the case with the mechanical arts, or at matter that is animate but passive and yielding, as is the case with the human mind and emotions in the fine arts. In war, the will is directed at an animate object that reacts." The latter case is also true of taxation and regulation. Liberal economists have yet to figure this out. “The essential difference is that war is not an exercise of the will directed at inanimate matter, as is the case with the mechanical arts, or at matter that is animate but passive and yielding, as is the case with the human mind and emotions in the fine arts. In war, the will is directed at an animate object that reacts.”

The latter case is also true of taxation and regulation. Liberal economists have yet to figure this out.

]]> By: david foster http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/6688.html/comment-page-1#comment-292300 david foster Sun, 25 Jan 2009 04:03:23 +0000 http://chicagoboyz.net/?p=6688#comment-292300 Missing link in the last comment: <a href="http://photoncourier.blogspot.com/2005_11_01_photoncourier_archive.html#113122847088263291" rel="nofollow">management education and the role of technique</a>. Missing link in the last comment: management education and the role of technique.

]]> By: david foster http://chicagoboyz.net/archives/6688.html/comment-page-1#comment-292299 david foster Sun, 25 Jan 2009 04:01:45 +0000 http://chicagoboyz.net/?p=6688#comment-292299 Very interesting piece. I recently skimmed a book on business strategy which contrasted the ideas of Jomini with those of Clausewitz as applied in a business context--can't remember the title or author but will try to find it. Regarding Clausewitz's comments about "method," see <a href="http://photonplaza.blogspot.com/2003_12_28_photonplaza_archive.html#107275628844222087" rel="nofollow">Dietrich Doerner</a>, who has found "methodism" to be a key to failure in his simulation experiments on decision-making. I'm afraid that a lot of higher education, and especially graduate education, acts to encourage this particular thought pattern. See also my post management education and the role of technique and the links to earlier posts on this topic. Very interesting piece. I recently skimmed a book on business strategy which contrasted the ideas of Jomini with those of Clausewitz as applied in a business context–can’t remember the title or author but will try to find it.

Regarding Clausewitz’s comments about “method,” see Dietrich Doerner, who has found “methodism” to be a key to failure in his simulation experiments on decision-making. I’m afraid that a lot of higher education, and especially graduate education, acts to encourage this particular thought pattern.

See also my post management education and the role of technique and the links to earlier posts on this topic.

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