This book is based on an in-depth conversation between Howard Burton and intellectual historian David Armitage, the Lloyd C. Blanfein Professor of History at Harvard University. This conversation covers David Armitage’s research on the history of ideas of civil war from Ancient Rome to the present. A salient feature of Armitage’s work is a strong focus on etymology as it relates to our understanding of how people interpreted (or misinterpreted) and perceived events in history which results in a fascinating exploration of how our understanding of various concepts has been prejudiced by past societies and past beliefs that we might not even be aware of, and how they, in turn, go on to influence other societies; and how this cumulative process frames our understanding of these ideas.This carefully-edited book includes an introduction, Imagining the Possibilities, and questions for discussion at the end of each chapter:I. Historical Origins - In search of multiple perspectivesII. The Semantic Archaeologist - Analyzing sedimented meanings III. In Search of a Definition - Francis Lieber’s "ticklish business"IV. Bellum Civile - The Roman reference pointV. What Is To Be Done? - Applying historical understanding to the modern worldVI. Historical Relevance - More prevalent than often recognizedVII. Oceans of Possibilities - Future workAbout Ideas Roadshow Conversations Series: Presented in an accessible, conversational format, Ideas Roadshow books not only explore frontline academic research featuring world-leading researchers but also reveal the inspirations and personal journeys behind the research.