Just war theory

Just war

the rules of war which permit a religious person to fight, found in Christian and Sikh teachings.

The ‘Just War’ theory

* Religions generally oppose war.
* However many of them believe fighting is justifiable if it is only course of action that will prevent real evil.
* Over many years Christian thinkers developed conditions for a ‘Just War’.
* Augustine (a Christian leader in the Middle Ages) came up with the JUST WAR theory.
* The Christian thinker St. Thomas Aquinas also added to this list of conditions that make a just (fair) war.
* More recently, the United Nations added to this and produced a list of reasons to justify going to war.

__**Jus ad bellum**__

a set of criteria that are to be consulted __before__ engaging in war in order to determine whether entering into war is permissible


1. Just Cause
2. Legitimate authority
3. Right intention
4. Probability of success
5. Last resort
6. Proportionality

__**Jus in bello**__

the law that governs the way in which __warfare is conducted__


1. Principle of Discrimination
2. Proportionality of Means to ends

__**Jus ad bellum: Just Cause**__

There must be a __**Just Cause**__, the target country __must deserve it.__ These include defending a nation under attack or stopping a dictator

__**Jus ad bellum:**__ Legitimate authority

The war must be __started and controlled by a legitimate__ __**authority**__ i.e. by the political system, not the military.

__**Jus ad bellum:**__ Right intention

There must be a __just intention / motive for going to war__ e.g. to restore peace or right a wrong

__**Jus ad bellum:**__ Probability of success

There must __be a__ __**reasonable chance of winning**__, the good gained must outweigh the suffering.

__**Jus ad bellum:**__ Last resort

The war must __be a__ __**last resort**__ – all other options must have been attempted.

__**Jus ad bellum:**__ Proportionality

There must be “**proportionality**”: waging a war must be proportionate to the evil or harm that is being threatened.

__**Jus in bello:**__ Principle of Discrimination

Principle of Discrimination means that **non-combatants should not be targeted in a war**. It is also not acceptable to target civilian areas for bombing.

__**Jus in bello:**__ Proportionality of Means to ends

Proportionality of the means to ends clause means that when actually fighting the war, **the amount of force used must always be proportionate to the threat.**

application to weapons of mass destruction: __**Nuclear Weapons**__

The fall out from a nuclear bomb is unknowable. The **heat from an exploded bomb** reaches several million degrees.

application to weapons of mass destruction: __**Chemical Weapons**__

When used as far back as The First World War, **mustard gas and phosgene gas** caused blindness, lung damage and death.

application to weapons of mass destruction: __**Biological Weapons**__

These include **bacteria and viruses**, and in some ways biological weapons are the most feared form of warfare.