The Last Human World War
The last Human world war *Chapter 1 Introduction** 1.1 Background and Context War has historically been understood as an inherently human activity. From ancient tribal conflict to industrialized nation-state warfare, armed conflict has relied upon human cognition, intention, emotion, and moral judgment. Even at its most mechanized—during the nuclear standoff of the Cold War—humans retained ultimate authority over the initiation and termination of violence. However, the early 21st century marks a fundamental departure from this historical norm. The integration of artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous decision systems, cyber-physical infrastructures, and algorithmic prediction into military operations has begun to erode the centrality of human agency in warfare. This shift is not merely technological; it is epistemological and ontological. The question is no longer how humans fight wars, but whether humans remain the primary agents of war at all. This dissertatio...