Abstract
In this chapter the current status of the just war theory is addressed. Several broad criticisms that can be brought against the just war theory are reviewed. One relates to the sovereignty condition, which requires that a just war be declared by a sovereign (or the legitimate authority of the state). The criticism is that it is questionable whether states have sovereignty in this sense. Often a condition of a just war in its conduct that is advanced by just war theorists is that innocent civilians not be intentionally killed, but it has been argued that modern wars invariably involve the intentional killing of innocents. A further criticism is that wars, modern or not, violate justice because they violate the right of persons to be treated as persons. Also in this chapter it is seen how political figures have contemporaneously appealed to just war principles in delineating their governmental position and in justifying specific policies.
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- 1.
Michael Walzer, Just and Unjust Wars, 2nd ed. (New York: Basic Books, 1992), pp. xvii and 43.
- 2.
Paul Arthur Schilpp, “National Sovereignty and International Anarchy,” in The Critique of War, ed. Robert Ginsberg (Chicago: Henry Regnery, 1969), pp. 152–61.
- 3.
Daniel A. Dombrowski, Christian Pacifism (Philadelphia PA: Temple University Press, 1991), p. 22. Dombrowski’s reference to Aquinas’ Summa is to ST II-II, q. 40, a. 1, to which we referred earlier.
- 4.
Dombrowski, Christian Pacifism, p. 22. St. Thomas Aquinas, ST II-II q. 64, a. 6. Available, 2017, via http://www.newadvent.org/summa/3064.htm
- 5.
Aquinas, ST II-II q. 40, a. 1.
- 6.
Dombrowski, Christian Pacifism, p. 25 (Dombrowski’s emphasis).
- 7.
Dombrowski, Christian Pacifism, p. 24 (emphasis deleted).
- 8.
Robert L. Holmes in On War and Morality (Princeton NJ: Princeton University Press, 1989) p. 189 and pp. 193–211 in which he considers factors that might be advanced to override the presumption.
- 9.
Thomas Nagel, “War and Massacre,” reprinted in Ethics and Public Policy, ed. Tom L Beauchamp (Englewood Cliffs NJ: Prentice-Hall, 1975), p. 224.
- 10.
President Obama’s acceptance speech is available, 2017. via https://obamawhitehousearchives.gov/the-press-office/remarks-president-acceptance-nob
- 11.
John Brennan’s speech is available, 2017, via http://www.lawfareblog.com/text-john-brennans-speech-drone-strikes-today-wilson-center
- 12.
Roland H. Bainton, Christian Attitues Toward War and Peace: A Historical Survey and Critical Re-evaluation (Nashville TN and New York: Abington, 1960), p. 98.
- 13.
St. Augustine, The City of God, trans. Marcus Dods (New York: Modern Library, 1950), Bk. 19, Sec. 7, p. 683.
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Kellenberger, J. (2018). The Status of the Just War Theory. In: Religion, Pacifism, and Nonviolence. Palgrave Frontiers in Philosophy of Religion. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95010-5_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95010-5_5
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