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Just War Theory - Coggle Diagram
Just War Theory
Can war be justified?
(An answer from the Roman/Catholic Tradition)
Notable figures
Saint Augustine of Hippo (354-430)
Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
Aristotle (384 BC- 322 BC) - Politics
Just War Theory or "Bellum Iustum"
Jus ad bellum Justification for going to war):
Just cause of war
The right to go to war
The laws leading up to legal war
Jus in bello (directs how combatants should act)
Just conduct of war
Right conduct of war
The laws that govern fighting a legal war
Distinction:
Just war must distinguish between combatants and non-combatants; no fighting civilians
Proportionality:
The amount of force should be proportionate to the threat
Ex:
Hague Conferences of 1899 and 1907
&
Geneva Conventions of 1949
Jus post bellum (newest addition)
Just treatment after war including just peace treaties, reconstruction, war trails, reparations, etc.
Distinction:
Discrimination needs to be made between civilians and military, political and military; can only punish those responsible
Proportionality:
Terms of surrender must be proportional to the rights initially violated; no punishing revenge surrender
Difficulties of Just War Theory:
Even if you abide by the standards of the Just War, the
standards are vague and controversial.
What is meant by proportional?
Being rooted in the
Western cultural and Christian religious tradition
means
Buddhist, Islamic, and other war traditions are left out;
not all restrictions on war are the same
Just War Theory and The "Doctrine of Discovery"
Several Papal Bulls of the 15th century (1600s) gave
*Christian Explorers the right to claim any land they "discovered".
Any land not inhabited by Christians is available for "discovery".*
A part of the Doctrine also says that if the "pagan"
inhabitants are converted to Christianity
they can be spared but if not, they can be conquered, enslaved, or killed
Under the Doctrine
indigenous people can only sell to the European country that discovered their land