PONDÉ EXPLICA: POR QUE EXISTEM GUERRAS?

Summary

Luiz Felipe Pondé discusses Einstein's 1932 question to Freud about why war exists. He explains Freud's view that aggressive prehistoric instincts persist beneath a fragile civilizational layer. The conversation covers post-World War II proxy wars, the post-Cold War illusion that major wars were over, and recent conflicts such as Russia-Ukraine and Iran-US tensions as reminders that geopolitical risk remains.

• Einstein's 1932 letter asked Freud why war exists.
• Freud answered that aggressive prehistoric instincts persist and that civilization is a fragile layer.
• The post-World War II period saw the Cold War and proxy wars rather than an absence of war.
• After the fall of the Berlin Wall, many believed large-scale wars were over, but regional conflicts continued.
• Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine was a wake-up call for Europe about returning war risk.
• Iran-US tensions remain another live geopolitical flashpoint.