Ethics, Religion, Authority and the Making of Peace

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering philosophical ethics, just war theory, religious perspectives, and peacemaking models from Chapter 17 of Peace and Conflict Studies.

Ethics

A branch of philosophy (moral philosophy) concerned with morality, moral judgments, duties, consequences, justice, human dignity, and the study of how people decide what is right and wrong.

Moral Paradox of War

The ethical contradiction wherein nearly every moral and religious tradition condemns killing a human being as a grave wrong, yet the same societies legally authorize, honor, and treat killing as necessary during war.

Consequentialism

An ethical approach associated with Jeremy Bentham and John Stuart Mill holding that an action is right if it produces the best overall outcome, weighing benefits against harms to achieve the greatest overall good.

Deontology

A duty-based ethical framework associated with Immanuel Kant asserting that actions are inherently right or wrong regardless of outcomes, based on universal principles and the rule that human beings must never be treated merely as means or tools.

Realpolitik

A perspective on international conflict that prioritizes national security, power, and state interests above moral limitations.

Just War Theory

An ethical tradition tracing from Augustine, Aquinas, and Grotius into modern international law that defines the moral conditions for entering war and sets limits on how warfare may be conducted.

Pacifism

An approach to conflict centered on the principled opposition to war, refusal to participate in violence, and an active commitment to nonviolent dispute resolution.

Presumption Against War

The foundational ethical starting point assuming that peace is preferable to violence, thereby placing the burden of proof upon those who seek to initiate or defend armed conflict.

Melian Dialogue

A historical illustration of power versus justice where Athens argued that might determines outcomes between the strong and weak, demonstrating that military power does not equate to moral rightness.

Jihad

An Islamic concept that can translate to "struggle" or "fight" depending on context, which should not automatically be equated with terrorism.

Ahimsa

The Hindu principle of nonviolence, which exists in tension with texts like the Bhagavad Gita that also depict warfare as a potential duty.

Christian Realism

A theological position between pacifism and militarism which holds that while war is morally dangerous, military force may be justified to defend others, confront serious injustice, and restore peace.

Jus ad bellum

The criteria governing justice before going to war, requiring legitimate authority, just cause, right intention, last resort, reasonable chance of success, the goal of peace, and proportionality of ends.

Jus in bello

The ethical and legal principles governing justice during the conduct of war, specifically dictating how military forces are permitted to fight.

Discrimination (Noncombatant Immunity)

A jus in bello requirement mandating that combatants never intentionally target non-combatants and consistently distinguish between civilians and military targets.

Proportionality of Means

A jus in bello principle specifying that the military force used in combat must not exceed what the specific military aim warrants.

Doctrine of Double Effect

An ethical principle in warfare acknowledging that a military action may produce both an intended legitimate effect and unintended harmful secondary consequences to civilians.

International Humanitarian Law (IHL)

A body of legally binding rules governing conduct during armed conflict—including The Hague Conventions and Geneva Conventions—that codifies jus in bello ethical principles into law.

Nuclear Taboo

A normative prohibition identified by Nina Tannenwald ($1999$) that accounts for the absence of nuclear weapons use in war since $1945$.

Ethic of Care

An alternative ethical framework highlighted by Zembylas that emphasizes human relationships, responsibility toward others, empathy, solidarity, and sustaining human life to build positive peace.

Peace Churches

Christian religious groups—specifically including the Quakers (Society of Friends), Mennonites, and the Church of the Brethren—that have historically rejected military participation in favor of nonviolence and peacemaking.

Just Peacemaking

A primary prevention framework edited by Glen Stassen ($1998$) outlining $10$ concrete practices designed to address upstream causes of conflict and make war less likely to start.

Primary Prevention (Peace Ethics)

An upstream ethics model aimed at preventing war from developing by transforming political, economic, and institutional conditions before a crisis occurs.