The Ethics of Armed Conflict: A Cosmopolitan Just War Theory
John W. Lango
Abstract
In this book, some distinctive approaches to the ethics of armed conflict are interwoven: (1) A revisionist approach that involves generalising traditional just war principles, so that they are applicable by all sorts of responsible agents to all forms of armed conflict. Such principles should be applicable not only to large-scale military operations (e.g., the 2003 invasion of Iraq) but also to small-scale military actions (e.g., the use of air power to enforce no-fly zones). (2) A cosmopolitan approach that features the Security Council. (3) A preventive approach that emphasises alternatives ... More
In this book, some distinctive approaches to the ethics of armed conflict are interwoven: (1) A revisionist approach that involves generalising traditional just war principles, so that they are applicable by all sorts of responsible agents to all forms of armed conflict. Such principles should be applicable not only to large-scale military operations (e.g., the 2003 invasion of Iraq) but also to small-scale military actions (e.g., the use of air power to enforce no-fly zones). (2) A cosmopolitan approach that features the Security Council. (3) A preventive approach that emphasises alternatives to armed force, including negotiation and mediation, nonviolent action, and peacekeeping missions. (4) A temporalist approach that prioritises the application of just war principles prospectively to present and future armed conflicts. (5) A coherentist approach that interrelates just war principles, general moral principles (e.g., distributive justice) and real-world cases (e.g., the Rwandan genocide). (6) A human rights approach that encompasses not only armed humanitarian intervention but also armed invasion, armed revolution, and all other forms of armed conflict. The book includes extensive discussions of generalised principles of just cause, last resort, proportionality, and noncombatant immunity. An assortment of other topics are considered, including moral dilemmas of armed conflict, standards of evidence for moral judgements, legitimate authority, the goal of peace, deterrence, escalation, intelligence, terrorism and counterterrorism, targeted airstrikes, and peace agreements. Recent real-world cases are utilised as illustrations, for example, the cases of Afghanistan, Darfur, the Diaoyu/Senkaku Islands, Libya, and South Sudan.
Keywords:
armed conflict,
armed humanitarian intervention,
cosmopolitan approach,
human rights,
just cause,
just war principles,
last resort,
noncombatant immunity,
proportionality,
Security Council
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2014 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780748645756 |
| Published to Edinburgh Scholarship Online: September 2014 |
DOI:10.3366/edinburgh/9780748645756.001.0001 |
