Can War Ever Be Truly Just?

BY ELENE SURMELASHVILI

Astate’s decision to wage war can stem fromamultitudeofcomplexmotivations –ranging from the imperative of national security to factors rooted in religion, geography, or economics, often intricately entwined. Just war theory, a philosophical doctrine of military ethics, seeks to determine the conditions in which waging war is justifiable. This framework has two main branches: Jus ad bellum, which addresses ‘the right to wage war’, and jus inbello,whichexplores‘rightfulconductin war’. Less often discussed, but equally important, is jus post bellum, referring to the duty of aggressors to re-build states post-war.

The philosophical discourse surrounding warfare focussed on discussing “justificationsforenteringthewar,and[…] appropriate activities within war” (Cuomo, 1996). In the 13th century, the priest and philosopher,ThomasAquinas,enteredthis debate,arguingthattheactofwagingwar is not a universal moral wrong (Aquinas in Reichberg, 2010, pg. 219). In his bestknown work, the Summa Theologica, Aquinas consolidated earlier Western just war theories and developed criteria under which waging war could be morally justifiable. First, war must be undertaken under the leadership of a legitimate sovereign. Second, the conflict must be fought for a ‘just’ cause, for example in responsetoawrongdonebytheattacked. Third, those engaged in combat must bear moral intent - to promote good and prevent evil. In Aquinas’ eyes, a war that meets these criteria serves the greater good, and can therefore be deemed just

(Reichberg, 2010, pg. 225). Importantly, Aquinas emphasized that war is a conflict betweencombatants,highlightingtheduty toprotectnoncombatantssuchaswomen, children, and other civilians (Jourdain and Crayon,1858).

Aquinas’ ideas sparked a debate as to whether waging war can ever be just. Opponents of the so-called Thomistic Just War Thesis often cite the historical example of the Crusades to highlight how even wars that seemingly meet Aquinas’ criteria,couldrun intomoraldilemmas.

The Crusades were originally promoted as a pilgrimage for the ‘Holy Land’. However, its aims quickly evolved – to wage a defense war to regain captured Christian territory (Maoz and Henderson, 2020, 20). These notions were engrained into the minds of the highly religious youth, who enthusiastically took up arms in ‘defense’ of their Christian neighbors. In 1095-96, PopeUrbanIIsentthefirstcrusaderarmies on dual missions: one to attack the Muslims who were at war with the Byzantine Empire, and the other to recapture Jerusalem from Islamic rulers. (Chevedden,2008,pg.183)

Considering the Thomistic just war thesis, both primary reasons for starting the Crusades could be deemed morally justifiable: they received papal authorization, and were framed as defensiveactionsthataimedatservingthe higher good of liberating Christians from Muslim oppressors. However, over time, the Crusades evolved into large-scale wars whichresultedin tragicdeathsofinnocent people. The Crusades demonstrate how malicious intent can be masked as altruistic, and can easily find resonance in young minds. In his work History of the Crusades (1951), historian Steven Runciman argues that the Crusades represented a barbarous chapter of Christian aggression, stepping beyond the remits of just war theory. TheMassacre of Jerusalem in 1099 stands as a poignant example, involving the genocide and looting of Muslim and Jewish populations atthehandsofChristian crusaders.

The concept of determining a ‘just’ cause for the use of violence is a complex and controversial issue. Because of this, Pacifists universally condemn the wielding of violence – both in form of attacks, and as a means to resist, punish, or prevent violence(Narveson,1965, 259). Whilst the philosophy to ‘do no harm’ has a long pedigree, Pacifism as a political ideology was popularized by 14th century Renaissancehumanistthinkers.

Thomas Aquinas’ philosophical contributions remain hugely relevant today, transcending the realm of Christian philosophy, and impacting international law. This influence is, for example, reflected in the Geneva and Hague conventions, which establish internationally agreed rules for the conduct of warfare. These conventions formthebasisfortheprosecutionofunjust aggressorstatesand theirleaders.

As Russia’s war in Ukraine continues to rage on, it impels us to contemplate the question of whether any war can truly be considered ‘just’. First, the war demonstrates the complexity of objectivelydistinguishinggoodintentfrom bad, with both sides claiming to fight on just grounds. While Russia claims to be driven by the ‘de-Nazification’ of Ukraine, and the protection of Russian-speaking populations from ethnic cleansing, the rationale behind Ukraine’s counter- defense is more obvious – defending its sovereignty and resisting integration into theRussian state.

Second, the Russia-Ukraine war illustrates the challenges of protecting noncombatants from harm in armed conflicts. Recent reports such as those from Human rights watch researchers in Bucha have described unlawful killings committed by Russian soldiers (Human Rights Watch, 2022). Despite the imperative to shield civilians, medical personnel, and others uninvolved, such war crimes happen frequently.

As modes of warfare evolve, so too will theories of just war. The emergence of nuclear weaponry, for example, has both reignited the interest in just war theory and prompted its revision as we confront the moral challenges posed by contemporarywarfare.

References

Chevedden,PaulE.(2008)‘TheIslamicView andtheChristianViewoftheCrusades:A NewSynthesis’,History,93(310),pp.181–200.

HumanRightsWatch(2022)‘Ukraine: RussianForces’TrailofDeathinBucha’.

Jourdain,Charles.(1858)‘ThePhilosophyof SaintThomasAquinas’,TheCrayon,5(11), pp.306–8.

Maoz,ZeevandHenderson,ErrolA.(2020) ‘ReligionandWorldPolitics—Theoryand Evidence’,InScriptures,Shrines,Scapegoats, andWorldPolitics:ReligiousSourcesof ConflictandCooperationintheModernEra. Michigan:UniversityofMichiganPress,pp. 1–24.

Narveson,Jan.(1965)‘Pacifism:A PhilosophicalAnalysis’Ethics,75(4),pp. 259–71.

Reichberg,GregoryM.(2010)’Thomas AquinasBetweenJustWarandPacifism’, TheJournalofReligiousEthics,38(2),pp. 219–41.

Walters,LeRoy.(1973)‘TheJustWarAnd TheCrusade:AntithesesorAnalogies?’,The Monist,57(4),pp.584–94.