Just War Essays

The just war theory provides us two basic conditions that make it permissible to start or partake in a war justly. The first condition is the “jus ad bellum,” which clarifies when it's just for a state to go to war. The second condition is the “jus in bello” which also elaborates on how soldiers can fight a war justly. The moral responsibilities and constraints of soldiers are stated under these two conditions. Constraints such as the avoidance for a soldier to intentionally harm a civilian is one

The just war theory is a Western Civilizational term that offers a set of guidelines that should be applied in war. The purpose of this theory is to provide a universal set of ethics to ensure that wars are not only justifiable, but that limits are established in order to preserve some humanity. There are numerous wars that could be analyzed through this theory, however, in this essay the United States involvement in World War II will be the focus due to the conflict it created globally. World War

The doctrine of just war is one of the oldest debated ideas of morality in history. The tradition is, at its core, a set of guidelines governing the ethics of war, and can be thought of as a moral compass that entities ought to adhere to while considering the act of war and during the course of war. The concept of just war lies between two diametrically opposite notions regarding validity of war - realism, which postulates that there is no place for morality in war and international affairs, and

of these weapons. As man has moved from the rock, to the sword, to the bow and arrow, and later into weapons of mass destruction the threat to non-combatant populations has exponentially. Thus, it seems only prudent that the understanding of a just war doctrine and a treatise on how to use these weapons honorably

War is a conflict that has been seen by every human civilization to some extent, and is sure to be seen by those in the future. These hostile situations can be caused by a variety of situations, including land, resources, philosophy, and religion. Though the exact cause and result of each war is different, there are ways to gauge the effectiveness and permissibility of the actions of governments and armed forces during war. This is the premise of Just War Theory. Just War is philosophy of rating

Per St. Thomas Aquinas’ criteria for a “just war”, the Allies declaration of war against the Axis Powers, during World War II, is considered just because it fought against the actions of one tyrant’s decisions, sought to avenge the wrongful doings of the Axis powers, and held the rightful intentions of bringing about good. The primary Allied Powers of World War II consisted of the United States, Britain, China and the Soviet Union, while the Axis powers consisted primarily of Germany, Italy, and

War crimes and crimes against humanity are among the most serious crimes in International Law. The definitions of a war crime comes under very specific definitions but are not always easily so defined, as war can be very hostile and unpredictable. War can appear as unjust and unwarranted, but in some circumstances, it is necessary. Just War theory is a concept that attempts to guide war into a more just path. The theory recognises that in times of war, traditional ethics are not applied but there

Behind every war, there is violence, death, and reasoning. Most of all, behind every war, the countries fighting are hoping and expecting change. The war in Iraq began because President Bush stated multiple times his issues with Iraq and that something needed to change. His reasoning was that Iraq had possession of weapons of mass destruction, those weapons were constantly developing, and that Iraq had a connection with Al Qaeda. A utilitarian would view this war and any war as morally wrong unless

1. What is the purpose of Just War? Explain. The purpose of Just War is to regulate the armed forces in a way which is fair, reasonable, and mindful of the consequences. In theory, Just War provides moral guidelines to combatants when governments force political decisions on other governments through war. Senior Military leaders and their staff develop Rules of Engagement (ROE) as directives for identifying and engaging the enemy. Otherwise known as ‘Jus in Bello,’ these rules not only

Just America or Just in War? Throughout the decades, history has recorded all the wars in which the United States has participated in. Some may consider that the United States’ participation in foreign affairs may have been cruel, or unnecessary; while in other cases, others find it essential for the United States to fight for the common good. Therefore, philosophers—in the pursuit of justice—have designed methods that dictate how a nation can justly engage into a war, one of this methods being

War is hell. Innocent people die, cities are destroyed and countries get economically unstable. But could some wars be justified? History is based on war. Humans have been fighting each other since prehistoric times; ambitious leaders declare wars to become the most powerful nation in the whole world. It is important to understand the Just War Theory because this is what is needed in order to know whether a war is justified or not. This theory is based on six principles which are: Just Cause/Right

War is something that, at this point in history, can be arguably deemed as part of the human condition. For whatever reason, it appears that humans are destined not to get along and that violent conflict is the preferred method of solving issues that arise. Whether it be fighting for the love of Helen of Troy or espousing the likes of God and Allah as a justification, war is one thing that time has yet to see the end of. That being said, it comes as no surprise that academics, scientists, and philosophers

Just war theory, what is that? In March 2003, the “coalition of the willing” , consisting of the United States of America, Great Britain and Australia, invaded Iraq, starting a war later referred to as the “Iraq war” . This war has raised eyebrows, not only questioning the intentions of the coalition, but criticizing the operation itself and the outcome as well. When thinking of the war, one could argue that it was necessary to protect the international community against the possible dangerous movements

Just war theory is undoubtedly the most effective view on the ethics of war and peace. The tradition dominates both moral and legal reasoning concerning war. It sets the tone, and the parameters, for the great debate. Just war theory can be meaningfully divided into three parts namely: Jus ad bellum; jus in bellum; jus post bellum. (Orend; 2005) Jus ad bellum Firstly the rules of jus ad bellum should be addressed to heads of state. Failure to adhere to these responsibilities would be considered committing

Christian war ethics: just war theory, pacifism, just insurrection, and nonviolent resistance. Personally, I admire the pacifism and nonviolent resistance as it seeks to emulate Christ. Knocking a violent system of balance through opposing violence with non-violent forms of defense (p. 153) seems to me a more effective statement then even pacifism. However, as realist and as a member of a family with several military veterans I appreciate the construction of ethical parameters when engaging in war. But

different opinions in legal, ethical and moral domains of war. In some situations, when war methods are not conventional, under internationally acceptable conditions, key legal documents, such as Chapter of the United Nations, can become insufficient or irrelevanct. This unconventional sphere requires radical changes in existing legislations or completely new world wide acceptable definition of combatant, adversary and war. Framework of war conditions, which we usually call conventional, becomes more

December 8, 1941, and many Americans were killed, Franklin D. Roosevelt asked for a Declaration of War against the state of Japan. As a result of a lack of resources and an attempt to further its empire, Japan also declared war. Due to it covering all 6 Just Cause Theories, the US's case for starting a war was stronger. The United States of America justifies declaring war by the Just War Theories. Just Cause theory was one of the strongest theories Franklin provided because he was self-defending the

Just War Theory has been use for a thousand years, is what Christian ethicists and theologians have used to determine when it is morally acceptable for someone to go to war. Augustine and a few others are mainly responsible for the guidelines to the Just War Theory. He made some assumptions about a Christian citizen’s duty to obey political authority and contribute to the task to the civic life (Clough & Stiltner, 2007, pg. 53). Augustine believed that the only just reason for going to war was to

Several people from different walks of life have extended their own opinions on just and unjust wars. Defencists argue the need to engage in war as an act of defense when there is a threat, such as facing a country what initiated a violent war, overthrowing a cruel and oppressive government, and protecting its people against an invader; the Realists’ belief is similar to those of the Defencists, but that war is said to be just when your moral standards call for it (Orend, 2009). For instance, fighting

War is one of the few occurrences that have been happening on this earth, dating back to over five hundred years back. There has been a lot of reasons countries give when they are about to engage into war with another country, or start a war in their own country. There are two sides that people take when war breaks out: the militarist (especially those who believe in the just war theory) and the pacifist. The just war theory, some militarist believe in, is made up of six factors, where all of