The purpose of political violence is to produce dead bodies (Koenigsberg's Law of Sacrifice) “Science is organized around a limited number of concepts, certain pillars that support the entire structure. There are a limited number of such concepts (or “laws”), but they account for everything we see in the world around us.” (Hazen and Trefil, 2009). “Newton developed compact laws that apply to an immense assortment of situations. His three Laws of Motion—like all fundamental laws that govern science—seem simple, almost simplistic. The deepest insights of the human mind often have this characteristic.” (Hazen and Trefil, 2009). Societies invent ideological concepts that they elevate to “absolutes”— ideals constituting the foundation of their cultures. How do people persuade themselves that these social constructions are true or real? War is the establishment of a human situation whereby “death assumes absolute value (Franco Fornari).”  The ideas for which we die have a right to truth—"death becomes a demonstrative process.” Beliefs become real when citizens and enemies die for them. Death “gives witness” to the power and truth and validity of the idea or ideal. The nature of the idea or ideal or entity for which people sacrifice their lives is fungible. This idea might be called preserving the Union, France,  the British Empire, Germany, the Emperor (of Japan), Communism, Allah, a Tamil homeland, or “freedom and democracy.” Regardless of the nature of the idea, the mechanism of proving its truth remains the same: Death performs a validation function. Killing is subordinate to the concept of dying. The purpose of acts of "aggression" (in war, genocide or terrorism) is to produce dead bodies. Dead bodies substantiate the idea or ideal in the name of which acts of aggression are undertaken.

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