Guiding Questions

• Can violence ever be just?

• What makes a war “just” — if such a thing exists?

• Who decides the rules of war — and who enforces them?

The Moral Dilemma of War

War involves killing, destruction, and suffering.

Yet almost every society has justified war at some point — in the name of:

• Self-defense

• Liberation

• Religion

• Revenge

• National pride

Is war ever just? Or is it simply organized injustice?

Just War Theory

For centuries, philosophers have tried to draw moral boundaries around war.

Key ideas from Just War Theory include:

When to go to war (jus ad bellum):

• Just cause — e.g., self-defense, stopping genocide

• Right intention — not for greed or conquest

• Legitimate authority — declared by a lawful government

• Last resort — all peaceful options tried

• Probability of success — war should not be futile

• Proportionality — the good must outweigh the harm

How to fight a war (jus in bello):

• Discrimination — civilians must not be targeted

• Proportionality — force must be limited to what is necessary

• No forbidden weapons — such as torture, chemical attacks

Even in war, morality matters — at least in theory.

Philosophical Perspectives

Cicero

Believed war could be moral if waged for peace and justice — not cruelty.

St. Augustine & Thomas Aquinas

Christian thinkers who helped shape Just War Theory — argued that violence could be justified under strict conditions.

Leo Tolstoy

Rejected all war as immoral. Believed that true justice can never come from violence.

Judith Butler

Criticizes whose lives are counted as grievable in war. If some deaths don’t “matter,” can the war ever be just?

Modern Challenges

• Terrorism blurs the line between combatants and civilians

• Drone strikes can kill without warning or trial

• Nuclear weapons could destroy all life — can their use ever be justified?

• Civilian casualties are often dismissed as “collateral damage”

War today moves faster than law. Can ethics keep up?

A Thought Experiment

A country is attacked. Thousands die.

Its leaders respond with massive force — including airstrikes that kill civilians.

Was that justice?

What if the attackers were part of a small rogue group, not a government?

Is revenge justice — or more injustice?

Alternatives to War

• Diplomacy and peace treaties

• International courts (e.g., The Hague)

• Nonviolent resistance movements

• Economic sanctions and pressure

• Truth and reconciliation commissions

• Global disarmament campaigns

Justice doesn’t always require a gun.

Reflect and Discuss

• Is war ever morally acceptable?

• Who gets to decide when war is justified — and why?

• What role should international law play in restraining violence?

Suggested Readings

• Michael Walzer – Just and Unjust Wars

• Leo Tolstoy – The Kingdom of God is Within You

• Judith Butler – Frames of War

• Geneva Conventions – International laws of war

• U.N. Charter – On the use of force and peacekeeping