The author identifies two fundamental tendencies regarding the place of war in social life: one views it as a phenomenon rooted in human nature and essential to human identity, while the other considers it a distortion – perspectives already present in pre-modern thought. In this perspective, the author seeks to answer whether it is legitimate to associate armed struggle with the essence of war, military conflict with its manifestation, and ultimately, whether war can be regarded as a form of extensive social conflict. The author aligns with the position of philosophy of security and securitology: the essence of war, or more precisely, the method of warfare, is understood through the analytical distinction between elementary actions proposed by Tadeusz Kotarbiński: conservative, destructive, and preventive. Within this framework, war is a form of activity comprising conservative, destructive, and preventive actions, employing a range of forces and instruments, not limited solely to military or weaponized means. Peace, in turn, is defined as an activity that encompasses preventive, constructive, and conservative actions, which may also involve armed forces and weaponry, albeit with a different purpose. This perspective enables both warlike and peaceful methods, each utilizing various resources, to be seen as integral to social life: its survival, development, and improvement in terms of security. Accordingly, the study of war and peace in society becomes a justified introduction to an analytical, synthetic, and holistic inquiry.