Preview

Just war

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
881 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Just war
Reflection Paper 1: Just War

Many people ponder to the question: when is war just? We also ponder if war is necessary and when is it necessary and if there are other ways to settle the discrepancy. Throughout time war has brought on a lot of pain, pressure and countless number of casualties. And to me I believe it is not fair to innocent worldwide citizens. To experience or to hear about such destruction and chaos brings a shiver down my spine. Why do countries have to go to war? Why can’t they settle their problems in a peaceful and successful manner? These questions pertain to the concept of just war. Americans must reflect upon how God would treat this manner. In doing so they must do in a justly manner. They must enforce the concept of a just war and encourage and pass along peace. The just war doctrine states “strict conditions” must be met by the “military force” to engage in war, and these conditions must be taken in “rigorous consideration. There are 4 conditions: a just war must be a last resort, meaning, all other peaceful options must be considered before force is taken. These means must be shown to be “impractical or ineffective.” Another condition that must be met is there must be a reasonable chance of success. It can’t be claimed as a success if there are a large number of innocent casualties. It must be a success in that the discrepancies are settled and no force will ever be taken into consideration again. Killing of innocent peoples simply cannot be morally justified. The consequences of war must not “produce evils,” meaning, damage done cannot be redeemed just if innocent lives are lost. The outcome of the war must be better than it would have been if the war had not taken place. The last condition that must be met is that the damage caused by the aggressor “must be lasting, grave and certain. War must only be fought only as self-defense, if someone intentionally hurts you or you know it’s coming, you should have the moral obligation to

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Powerful Essays

    The Just War Theory

    • 1946 Words
    • 8 Pages

    What justifies war? Who justifies it? Why as human beings do we feel the need to fight, harm, and kill others to achieve certain goals? These questions have been pertinent to our society since the beginning of time and continue to challenge us to better understand the human psyche, and code of ethics that give Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen, Coast Guardsmen, and Marines credence to kill in the name of the United States of America. These ethics of war lay the foundation for that code of understanding and righteousness for when it is justifiable to pull the trigger and take the life of another, or commit an act of war.…

    • 1946 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Just war theory maintains that war may be justified if fought only in certain circumstances, and only if certain restrictions are applied to the way in which war is fought. The theory that was first propounded by St Augustine of Hippo and St Ambrose of Milan ( 4th and 5th centuries AD) attempts to clarify two fundamental questions: ‘when is it right to fight?’ and ‘How should war be fought?’. Whereas Pacifists are people mainly Christians who reject the use of violence and the deliberate killing of civilians but claims that peace is intrinsically good and ought to be upheld either as a duty and that war can never be justifiable. However, Realists agree that, due to the nature of humans, force is a necessary action to be used to maintain a just and ordered society. Therefore, since the Second World War, people have turned their attention to Just War again establishing rules that can serve as guidelines to a just war- the Hague and Geneva conventions.…

    • 1943 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    Henry V Ethical Analysis

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages

    It has never been agreed upon that life is an absolute right, but only that death is the absolute outcome. Philosophers call it a prima facie right, this right gets forfeited in actions such as aggravated murder, abortion, physician-assisted suicide, and other heinous crimes. However, the great western powers are on sure footing when it comes to this type of permitted murder, but a just war doesn’t make a total war acceptable. Williams Shakespeare’s play Henry V is loosely based upon England’s own ethical dilemmas in the early 1400’s. This is especially true when conflicting governments go into a war just because one side believes themselves to be in a just war the other may not.…

    • 645 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    war and riches

    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages

    Write an essay that answers the following question: Was the United States justified in going to war against Mexico in 1846?…

    • 465 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    The Just War theory tries to judge whether it is ‘just’ to go to war and how the war should be fought. It tries to reconcile three things; taking a human life is seriously wrong. That states have a duty to defend their citizens and defend justice and thirdly protecting innocent human life and defending important moral values.…

    • 581 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    POL.355.Final.Paper

    • 2412 Words
    • 10 Pages

    The just War theory mainly talks about the first perspective, jus ad bellum. In case a country or nation has been invaded without provoking the other nation then it is acceptable to exercise force in order to defend itself. From such a situation three just causes can be deduced; self-defense from aggression, the defense from others from aggression and armed involvement in a non -aggressive country where…

    • 2412 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Better Essays

    Essay 1

    • 1293 Words
    • 6 Pages

    Some people think war is justified because; it is in order to counter terrorism. I think they're wrong because rather than war being the only solution my opinion is that war is the worse way to handle a conflict. I agree, that sometimes we are forced to do things we might not want to do, for example after the terrorist attack of September 11, it became inevitable for United States not to retaliate. It is logical and justifiable that the people, who are involved in those attacks directly or indirectly, must be captured and punished for killing more than 3000 people. However, I don't think that it makes war acceptable. In war, we intend to kill enemy troops, to get to dangerous leaders and avenge our own loss. Yet, we cannot have a violent, successful war without killing innocent people. If we are going to war to avenge the killing of our own citizens, think of what we are doing to them. We are going off and killing their innocent people, causing them the same pain we felt. Crito did not understand the madness of Socrates, Crito will do whatever it takes to help his friend to flee, instead of being exiled by the government. AI do not think that what you are doing is right, to give up your life when you can save it, and to hasten your fate as your enemies would hasten it, and indeed have hastened it in their wish to destroy you.@(Crito )…

    • 1293 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Just War

    • 634 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Force should be used when there are legitimate reasons for using it, and when it is the last resort for the government, who is responsible for civic peace. Elshtain uses Augustine to discuss justice and war. A paradox between war and peace is introduced, Elshtain uses an Augustine quote to discuss the similarity of two words that are complete polar opposites, “Peace and war had a contest in cruelty, and peace won the prize.” In history, there are many instances where evil and horrible things are done in the name of ‘peace’. Elshtain continues with the early Christian beliefs that under Jesus’ teaches forbid force in anyway, even under authority. Later, it transforms to the necessity of force to protect others. This leads to the four qualifications that Elshtain wrote to justify a war, the first is that the war must be publicly declared by a legitimate jurisdiction. The second criteria is that an unjust violence must have occurred against the government’s own people or a defenseless group. Third, the war has to be start with the proper motives. Finally, all other alternatives must be exhausted before leading to war. In the end, Elshtain includes a final criteria that must be met for a war to be ‘just’, the possibility of actually winning the conflict. If there is no chance of succeeding, the conflict should not be…

    • 634 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Iraq--Just War?

    • 322 Words
    • 2 Pages

    A just war is a war that “can only be waged as a last resort. All nonviolent options must be exhausted before the use of force is justified… can only be fought to redress a wrong suffered… must discriminate between combatants and non-combatants” (What Is A Just War?). The war in Iraq was not used as an only remaining option; it was not used as a means to retaliate for an action imposed against us; and it was not did not differentiate between combatants and civilians. I believe the war in Iraq should therefore be considered unjust.…

    • 322 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Just War and Pacifism

    • 402 Words
    • 2 Pages

    The just war theory is a largely Christian philosophy that attempts to reconcile three things:…

    • 402 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    'In war some sorts of restraint, both on what we can legitimately fight for (jus ad bellum) and on how we may legitimately fight (jus in bello), are morally required'.1 However, recent theorists also add the responsibility and accountability of warring parties after the war (jus post bellum) to the main two categories of just war theory. From Christian perspective the function of the JWT was simply an excuse of making war morally and religiously possible writes Michael Walzer. He also agrees with its defendants, that it made war possible in a world where war was, sometimes, necessary. JWT is therefore to be used as a sort of moral rule-book from which legitimate instances of the use of force can be read off whenever needed.2 That said this essay aims to investigate and legitimate World War II by examining jus ad bellum's predominant principles – just cause, rightful authority and right intention, further by examining jus in bello's essential principle of non-combatant immunity and discrimination, and finally, looking closely at two peculiar moral events of closing days of World War II.…

    • 3976 Words
    • 16 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    According to traditional just war theory, a just cause must serve peace and not simply protect an unjust status quo. War must be used as a last resort and all pacifistic approaches must be undertaken. So, if your country is implicated in immoral actions such as oppression of a group of people that terrorist represent, before responding with military action against that group, it is necessary to stop the unjust oppression. If by upholding unjust policies, a society makes peace with a country of people impossible, then military action would just be an extension of that country's unjust policy. This would not be a just war because the reactionary war would be itself an instrument of injustice, and the action would contain an unjust intent.…

    • 1726 Words
    • 7 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    Below is a free essay on "10 Commandments" from Anti Essays, your source for free research papers, essays, and term paper examples.…

    • 351 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    Just War Theory

    • 2504 Words
    • 11 Pages

    Just war is a war that is justified because it is necessary for peace to happen. Just war theory has its origins in the catholic church. In order for a war to be considered just it must meet certain criteria. For a war to be just it must: have a just cause, have a valid authority, be comparative justice, the right intention, be the last resort, have a good probability of success, and have proportionality.[1]…

    • 2504 Words
    • 11 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Tim O'Brien on Injustice

    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages

    The unclearness and uncertainty of war is something that penetrates deep into life and it is something that affects every facet of every day. Justice is the pursuit of right, the elevation of goodness, and the elimination of evil; however, such lucid definitions often lack substance when stood up to the tests of reality. Injustice is the denial of rights and the lack of morality for the embracement of barbarism. When looking for injustices in the world, what most readily comes to mind are violent crimes? Murder, theft, and rape are domestic injustices commonly recognized, but injustices, like reality, exist in perception. Therefore, to deem someone or something unjust, first agreement upon its definition must be established. When the United States declared her independence, we perceived the unjust indignities to be clear; however, to the militant king, the refusal to pay his taxes was injustice and the nullification of his law was the warrant for war. When such implied meanings come in to play, one has to determine what is just. In order to eliminate war, first all nations must outline the true meaning of “injustice” and find suitable solutions for reparation. The most diligent participant of war is the injustice done upon both sides, the backing of both by god, and the misconception that both will prevail due to their side being right and just. These differing views of injustice and justice are what cause the eventual degradation of war. (JRSOT) Tim O’Brien takes account of the injustices of war when he refers to opposing…

    • 1014 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Better Essays

Related Topics