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Examples Of Just War Theory

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Just war theory is undoubtedly the most effective view on the ethics of war and peace. The tradition dominates both moral and legal reasoning concerning war. It sets the tone, and the parameters, for the great debate. Just war theory can be meaningfully divided into three parts namely: Jus ad bellum; jus in bellum; jus post bellum. (Orend; 2005)
Jus ad bellum
Firstly the rules of jus ad bellum should be addressed to heads of state. Failure to adhere to these responsibilities would be considered committing war crimes. According to (Orend; 2005), rules of jus ad bellum establish what a “just or unjust” resort to armed force. Launching a war would be acceptable if the following requirements are met:
The rules of jus ad bellum: o Just cause: Just cause is recognized by most cultures and formulated in international law. The rules of jus ad bellum serve as principles to determine when war and the use of violence are justifiable. Only when the criteria of jus ad bellum are met can the use of violent force be permitted (Maiese; 2003). o Last resort: A state may only choose to launch a war if all peaceful settlements do not work. It needs to be made certain, war is only declared when it seems like the last concrete and sensible resolution (Maiese; 2003). o Legitimate authority: The authorities have to make the decision, make it public to the citizens and the enemy, then only may a state go to war (Orend; 2005). o The right intention: The aim of war must be to re-establish a just
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