Terror and Consent

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Terror and Consent: The Wars for the Twenty-First Century is a 2008 book by Philip Bobbitt that argues we should rethink how we fight terrorism. Building on his idea that states and warfare evolve together, the book says most 21st‑century ideas about terrorism are misguided. The “wars on terror” should focus on three threats to state legitimacy: global, networked terrorists; the spread of weapons of mass destruction; and large disasters, whether natural or man-made. Bobbitt sees terrorism as part of the shift from nation-states to market-states, whose legitimacy comes from maximizing opportunities for civil society and protecting citizens. He also contends that the West is not winning these wars because strategy and law are treated separately and must be understood together.

The book introduces two new concepts: states of terror and states of consent. It argues that states are growing more interdependent, and that traditional realism is becoming less useful. The work has an introduction, three parts, and a conclusion, and it offers a broad, ambitious view of how to confront modern security challenges.

Reviewers praised the book for its breadth and originality. Niall Ferguson called it a manifesto for a new Atlanticism and a reinvention of the trans‑Atlantic alliance. Conor Gearty noted its cosmopolitan reach while suggesting it carries traces of American exceptionalism. Others found it fascinating and sweeping, though some worry the market‑state idea may be overstated and that the book could say more about international cooperation. The book also drew attention in political circles, with David Cameron including it on a 2008 reading list for MPs.