The Just War Theory
The belief that a war is morally justified if it meets certain criteria. Just War Theory- Just War Theory developed trying to reconcile Jesus’ teachings on peace to the fact that Christianity became the religion of the Roman Empire in 312CE: the Romans used force to expand and defend its borders and maintain the Pax Romana.
Jus ad bellum –
the criteria concerning what makes it right to go to war e.g. Just Cause, Competent Authority, Just Intention, Comparative Justice, Last Resort, Likelihood of Success, Proportionality Augustine and Aquinas and other philosophers through history developed these seven key criteria for jus ad bellum, for going to war. If the criteria are met, the war is justified. Aquinas, building on Augustine, gives the first three of these. Francisco Suarez and Francisco de Vitoria (16th cent.) added another three criteria for jus ad bellum, Finally, the Catholic bishops of the United States later (1983) decided that jus ad bellum should receive one extra criterion, in their statement The Promise of Peace:
Jus in bello
how war should be fought- with Proportionality, Discrimination
Jus post bello
Conduct after war: Brian Orend (2002) argued that just war theory was incomplete in dealing only with the morality of using force (jus ad bellum) and the morality of conduct during war (jus in bello). He said that a third branch of just war theory had been overlooked. He cited Immanuel Kant as the first to consider a three-pronged approach to the morality of armed conflict. Those interested in the jus post bellum must also consider the lex pacificatoria or law of peace agreements
Augustine
Only a just authority for a just cause can go to war
Aquinas
Added a third condition, Right Intention which links to Natural Moral Law – Exterior and Interior Acts
Pax Christi
established in France by French citizens in 1945, interested in reconciliation between French and German citizens in the aftermath of World War II, using the Jesus’ teaching that ‘blessed are the peacemakers’
Pacifism
Generally speaking, this is the view that violence is wrong in any circumstance. People can be pacifists for religious, philosophical or practical reasons. Pacifism is often advocated where just war theory is held to be inadequate. Historically, many Christians have been pacifists, looking back to the teachings of Jesus in the Gospels. Jesus lived non-violently and brought a non-violent redemption (against some messianic expectations). The very first Christians refused to join the Roman army. Following the Reformation (16th century), a number of pacifist Protestant sects emerged: Quakers, Mennonites, Brethren, etc. These groups remain powerful advocates for peace today.
Principle, Absolute, or Philosophical Pacifism
Which is the belief that it is never right to take part in war because the killing of human beings can never be justified.
Religious Pacifism
In the West, pacifism is rooted in Christianity, and was particularly strong in the early Church. Religious pacifists understand their sources of wisdom and authority to command an ethic of non-violence.
Relative Pacifism
This is the view that peaceful solutions should always be the first choice, but without having an absolute objection to war. Wars might sometimes (very rarely) be allowed. Nationally orchestrated violence is always an evil, even if it is the lesser of two evils.
Pragmatic Pacifism
the view that peaceful approaches to conflict should be taken because they work better. Pragmatic pacifists can point to the success of non-violent protest campaigns in bringing about political change (e.g. Martin Luther King’s peaceful march on Washington was highly effective).
Contingent Pacifism
Is not opposed to war on absolute grounds, but on contingent grounds – war as we know it cannot be waged in a morally acceptable way. In other words, all wars today involve killing of the innocent, and this is morally unacceptable.
Preferential Pacifism
Like to say pacifism is preferential option to war as war has been so destructive historically. However, Pacifism has on occasion to take the back seat to protect the weak. E.g Dietrich Bonhoeffer tried to assassinate Hitler. He thought it was impossible even immoral not to take action.
Nuclear Pacifism
Modern-war pacifism, sometimes known as "just-war pacifism" or "nuclear pacifism" is a moral position that holds that modern war can never be morally justified.
Christian Realism
Developed by a Pacifist, Reinhold Niebuhr. He changed his mind after he witnessed the evil perpetrated by Germany in the Second World War. He adopted ‘Theological Christian Realism’ – the view that the collective character of all humans contains a natural disposition to do evil. He believed that ethics has nothing to do with war. War is often necessary to promote security, survival and economic growth.