A conceptual critique of remote warfare. Issue 4 (2nd October 2021) - Rauta, Vladimir
ABSTRACT: This paper presents a conceptual critique of "remote warfare." It argues that "remote warfare" is more of a trendy term than a robust concept. In support of this assessment, this paper makes two arguments. First, that there is a lack of clarity in the debate over what "remote warfare" is: namely, the literature is yet to explain what it entails. Second, that because of this lack of definitional specificity, we also lack an account of its analytical value: what intellectual leverage does it hold over existing terms making similar claims? The article discusses these points by expanding on the notion of "semantic field, " which it uses to assess how "remote warfare" contributes and is shaped by the broader conceptual confusion in the study of contemporary war and warfare.