“The instability and dismemberment of the global system of domination have reached a point where we once again face the prospect of a world war. We are not here to make predictions regarding the great or small distance that separates us from the actual outbreak of this war or even for its indefinite postponement. Any reader who would interpret the following as a prediction would be in perfect misunderstanding. This is an attempt to orient oneself in a situation where the prospect of war has become a decisive component and which includes, as one of the real possibilities, the open conflict between the two superpowers - the two super-gangs. This possibility in turn becomes a shaping factor of the actual developments. Today and undoubtedly for the coming years, the global situation can be understood only by taking into account - and indeed primarily - the prospect of war.” Cornelius Castoriadis

In the years that followed its publication in French in 1981, "Facing War" was widely regarded as an unfortunate geopolitical analysis, highlighting a dominant Soviet Union while failing to foresee the impending collapse of the regime. However, despite the empirical refutation of some of its assessments, this volume still serves today as a model of inquiry, reasoning, and examination of the relations between society and war, while the very historical context, which serves to confirm the perpetuation of geopolitical conflict, demonstrates the contemporary relevance of Cornelius Castoriadis' thought.