Just War Theory

Just War Theory is the idea that there are certain rules, or conditions, to any conflict. In order to keep this conflict 'just' (as opposed to unjust or immoral), philosophers have come up with different ways to keep any conflict in check. Typically, there are three distinct parts to any comprehensive Just War Theory. The first is 'Jus ad bellum', which refers to the conditions surrounding any two [or more] entities engaging in war in the first place. That is, under what conditions is it permissible to engage in battle? These putative rules are 1. The conflict/war must be authorized by the proper authority 2. War is declared for the right cause (e.g. to stop an aggressor) 3. Pursue the war with the right intentions of fulfilling said just cause (e.g. not using the war as an excuse to commit genocide) 4. The means are proportionate to the end (e.g. if the goal is to end a country's leadership, do not wipe out the entire civilian population) 5. The war is declared as a last resort (e.g. only after all negotiations fail) and 6. The war has a reasonable hope of success. The second part to Just War Theories are 'Jus in Bello' rules - which dictate how the combatants should act. These rules, unlike the prior, deal with the individual soldier and not with the country or diplomatic powers at large. These two ('...ad bellum' and '...in bello') components are often considered separately (insofar as that most Just War Theorists believe that a soldier can act justly even in an unjust war), but this is of course debated like any other topic in philosophy. The rules for 'Jus in Bello' combat are 1. Proportionality (e.g. similar to the other condition of proportionality, do not engage in scorched earth warfare if your goal is a targeted strike) and 2. Discrimination (I.e. combatants must discriminate between other [enemy] combatants and innocent civilians). Lastly, the third component is 'Jus post bellum', which attempts to dictate the conditions under which a period of wartime can move towards peace in the smoothest way possible (e.g. one side won or surrendered, "what now?"). These rules generally surround the idea of proportionality (e.g. spoils of war must be proportional to conquered territory, do not give excessive punishment to enemy combatants, etc.) and a hand of peace that attempts to - in cases of permanent occupation or conquering - allow the enemy to retain their culture/traditions, enables a smooth assimilation process, etc. War is a complex, though unfortunately common, part of human life - so even though it should ideally be avoided in favor of diplomatic solutions, one must be practical about how wars should be entered, fought, and ended.