Infinite Monkeys

Just War - Introduction

As promised (threatened?), I'm going to post several entries evaluating the moral justice of the so-called Global War on Terror (GWoT) based on established Just War Theory. For purposes of discussion, I'm going to use the Wikipedia Article as a framework, because it presents the traditional position clearly and concisely. Other presentations may vary, but this article is as useful as any.

In each category, I will also treat each of our "major engagements" separately, just as our actions in Europe and the Pacific should be evaluated separately when considering World War II. The "fronts" of this war that I will consider are:

Afghanistan: Actions taken in and immediately around the nation of Afghanistan, as well as domestic activity directly related to actions in Afghanistan.
Iraq: Actions taken in and immediately around the nation of Iraq, as well as domestic activity directly related to actions in Iraq.
Other: All other war-related activities of the GWoT that are not tied directly to Iraq or Afghanistan.

I realize there is room for ambiguity here, but I think it is more important to attempt to distinguish between these areas of activity than to allow them to be blurred together.

Table of Contents:

Section 1 - Jus ad bellum (Law to War)
Chapter 1 - Just Cause
Chapter 2 - Comparative Justice
Chapter 3 - Legitimate Authority
Chapter 4 - Right Intention
Chapter 5 - Probability of Success
Chapter 6 - Proportionality
Chapter 7 - Last Resort

Section 2 - Jus in bello (Laws of War)
Section 3 - Jus post bellum (Justice after War)

Posted by RobbL at December 23, 2005 11:09 AM