Opinion by Daeng Supriyanto, SH, MH
Global Geopolitical Observer
When the Secretary-General of the United Nations issued the statement that the conflict between Iran and Israel has gone “out of control,” he was not merely announcing a geopolitical fact, but rather revealing a profound ontological crisis within modern human civilization. This statement is not simply a description of a deteriorating military situation; it is a philosophical admission that the mechanisms we have built over centuries—international law, diplomacy, dialogue, and global peace institutions—have lost their magical power to stem the surging tide of violence. This is a moment where rationality appears powerless in the face of resurgent primordial forces.
I. The Collapse of Order: From Rechtsstaat to the Law of the Jungle
In modern political philosophy, the international world is ideally conceived as a community governed by law (Rechtsgemeinschaft), where might is subjugated to right, and conflicts are resolved through rational procedures. The UN Charter and international law are manifestations of the belief that humanity is capable of transcending primitive instincts toward a civilized existence. However, the declaration that the situation is “out of control” signifies that this order is undergoing total deconstruction.
We are witnessing the return of what Thomas Hobbes termed the status bellum—a state of war where force becomes the only law, and fear becomes the sovereign ruler. When missiles cross national borders without regard for sovereignty, when civilian facilities become targets, and when threats of mutual destruction are exchanged, the world has regressed into a “jungle” characterized by perpetual uncertainty. This does not mean that law is dead, but rather that law has become a mere shadow, while reality is dominated by the inexorable logic of violence.
II. The Dialectics of Identity and Enemy: When “The Other” Becomes “The Evil”
Philosophically, this conflict cannot be separated from the construction of extreme identity. Both Iran and Israel shape their national and ideological selfhood through a sharp opposition to one another. Here, a distorted Hegelian logic prevails: identity is formed through the negation of “The Other,” yet instead of leading toward a higher synthesis, it remains trapped in an endless antithesis.
For certain groups within Israel, the existence of Iran is viewed not merely as a security threat, but as an existential danger rooted in historical and theological narratives that perceive the land as a sacred inheritance to be defended absolutely. Conversely, for the regime and much of the population in Iran, Israel is seen as an illegitimate colonial entity, a symbol of oppression that must be resisted as part of a moral and religious duty.
From the perspective of existential philosophy, this situation creates a “vicious cycle” where each party sees itself as the victim entitled to retaliate, and the enemy as the source of all evil. When this worldview becomes absolute, the space for dialogue is hermetically sealed. There is no longer room for “perhaps,” no space for compromise, because compromise is viewed as treason against identity and absolute truth.
III. Religion Trapped in Politics: Between Revelation and Power
One of the most tragic dimensions of this conflict is how spiritual and religious values—supposedly sources of peace and compassion—are instrumentalized to justify violence. This is the phenomenon described by Max Weber as the politicization of religion—where sacred texts, holy symbols, and eschatological concepts are transformed into weapons of rhetoric and ideology.
