The book, a publication of Michel Foucault's lectures, introduces the reader to the scientist's interesting thoughts on the nature of power in society. Foucault examines the relationship between power and war, analyzing the formation of 17th- and 18th-century England and France. a special type of historical and political discourse, according to which the birth of a state is preceded by a real (and not an ideal, like Hobbes’s) war. The author sharply contrasts historical-political and philosophical-legal discourses. Already in the annotated book, he expresses doubt that the binary relationship characteristic of war can serve as a matrix of power, since power has a diverse nature, permeating the weight of relationships in society.