FOUNDATION FOR THE STUDY OF POLITICAL PSYCHOSIS Richard Koenigsberg, Andrew Hammer, Mostafa Boieblan, Mei Ha Chan THE PURPOSE OF WAR IS DYING NOT KILLING The purpose of war is not killing, but compelling human beings to die. The endless slaughter of the First World War, for example, was undertaken and perpetuated in order to build war memorials testifying to the reality of the nation-state.   The proof of the pudding is in the dying. Human beings die and kill to demonstrate their commitment to and the reality of their sacred ideals. The nature of the entity or idea or ideal for which human beings die and kill is fungible. The mechanism is the same regardless of the nature of the entity, idea or ideal. Death and memorials erected to sanctify those who have died testify to the reality of the idea or entity or ideal. Death and memorialization perform a validation function. Dying (not killing) constitutes the essence of the institution of warfare.