John W. Lango - Böcker

Just war theory exists to stop armies and countries from using armed force without good cause. But how do we decide whether a use of armed force is just or unjust? In this original book, John W. Lango takes some distinctive approaches to the ethics of armed conflict. 1. A revisionist approach that involves generalising traditional just war principles, so that responsible agents can apply them to all forms of armed conflict. 2. A cosmopolitan approach that features the Security Council. 3. A preventive approach that emphasises alternatives to armed force, including negotiation, nonviolent action and peacekeeping missions. 4. A human rights approach that encompasses not only armed humanitarian intervention but also armed invasion, armed revolution and all other forms of armed conflict. Using these principles, he discusses issues surrounding just cause, last resort, proportionality and noncombatant immunity. He then applies them to hot topics in international conflicts including drone strikes, no-fly zones, moral dilemmas, deterrence, intelligence, legitimate authority, escalation and peace agreements, drawing on real-world case studies from recent conflicts in countries including Afghanistan, Darfur, Libya and South Sudan.

Contributors seek to promote reasoned debate about emerging security threats and potential military responses.The just war tradition is an evolving body of tenets for determining when resorting to war is just and how war may be justly executed. Rethinking the Just War Tradition provides a timely exploration in light of new security threats that have emerged since the end of the Cold War, including ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, threats of terror attacks, and genocidal conflicts within states. The contributors are philosophers, political scientists, a U.S. Army officer, and a senior analyst at the Center for Defense Information. They scrutinize some familiar themes in just war theory from fresh and original angles, and also explore altogether new territory. The diverse topics considered include war and the environment, justice in the ending of war, U.S. military hegemony, a general theory of just armed-conflict principles, supreme emergencies, the distinction between combatants and noncombatants, child soldiers, the moral equality of all soldiers, targeted assassination, preventive war, right authority, and armed humanitarian intervention. Clearly written and free of jargon, this book illustrates how the just war tradition can be rethought and applied today.