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Philosophy Archive

Just War Theory: Ethics, Justice and Debate

A philosophical guide to just war theory, explaining ethical principles, historical debates, political responsibility, and relevance for peace and justice.

Historical tradition

Overview

Origin

Historical tradition

Founded period

Historical tradition

Important figures

Achille Mbembe: Ethics, Justice and Debate · Albert Camus On Resistance: Ethics, Justice and Debate · Albert Einstein On Peace: Ethics, Justice and Debate · Amartya Sen On Violence: Ethics, Justice and Debate

Major texts

A Problem From Hell: Ethics, Justice and Debate · Arguing About War: Ethics, Justice and Debate

Concept archive

Core Principles

People in this tradition

Important Figures

Primary and related texts

Related Books

Quotation archive

Quote Perspectives

“Aquinas On Just War is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Aquinas On Just War
“Arendt On Violence is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Arendt On Violence
“Augustine On Peace is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Augustine On Peace
“Butler On Grievability is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Butler On Grievability
“Camus On Rebellion is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Camus On Rebellion
“Chenoweth On Nonviolence is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Chenoweth On Nonviolence
“Clausewitz On War is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Clausewitz On War
“Cohn On Security is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
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“Einstein On War is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Einstein On War
“Enloe On Militarism is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Enloe On Militarism
“Galtung On Positive Peace is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Galtung On Positive Peace
“Gandhi On Ahimsa is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
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“Grotius On War And Law is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Grotius On War And Law
“Hobbes On Security is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Hobbes On Security
“Kant On Perpetual Peace is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
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“King On Nonviolence is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with King On Nonviolence
“Lederach On Peacebuilding is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
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“Lemkin On Genocide is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Lemkin On Genocide
“Locke On Resistance is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Locke On Resistance
“Mcmahan On Combatants is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Mcmahan On Combatants
“Orwell On War Language is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
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“Power On Atrocity is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
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“Ricoeur On Forgiveness is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
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“Rousseau On War is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Rousseau On War
“Russell On Peace is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
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“Said On War is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
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“Scarry On Pain is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
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“Sen On Violence is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Sen On Violence
“Sharp On Civil Resistance is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Sharp On Civil Resistance
“Tolstoy On Nonviolence is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Tolstoy On Nonviolence
“Tutu On Reconciliation is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Tutu On Reconciliation
“Vitoria On Just Cause is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Vitoria On Just Cause
“Walzer On Just War is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
See cited primary edition·Primary work associated with Walzer On Just War
“Weil On Force is presented as a source-guided philosophical reading. Consult the listed primary edition for the exact wording and translation.”
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Overview

A philosophical guide to just war theory, explaining ethical principles, historical debates, political responsibility, and relevance for peace and justice. Just War Theory: Ethics, Justice and Debate is best understood as a family of arguments connected by recurring questions, not as a rule that every associated thinker accepts unchanged.

Historical Development

Just War Theory: Ethics, Justice and Debate developed through disputes about war, peace, political violence and through exchanges with War Peace And Political Violence, Just War Theory, What Is War. Its vocabulary changed as arguments moved between languages, institutions, and historical settings. Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, War; Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Pacifism provides the reference frame for distinguishing early formulations from later reconstructions.

Core Ideas

The core ideas of Just War Theory: Ethics, Justice and Debate include war, peace, political violence. Each idea answers a different question about reality, knowledge, value, or practice. Their relationship must be argued rather than assumed, which explains why internal disagreements can be as important as disagreements with rival traditions.

Key Thinkers

The thinkers connected with Just War Theory: Ethics, Justice and Debate should be read through their own texts and historical circumstances. Association with a philosophy does not erase disagreement about its premises, methods, or consequences.

Influence

The influence of Just War Theory: Ethics, Justice and Debate appears in later concepts, institutions, and criticisms linked to War Peace And Political Violence, Just War Theory, What Is War. Its contemporary value lies in the questions and distinctions it makes available, while its limits become visible when those tools are tested against new evidence and different social conditions.

Learning Path

Part of a Structured Collection

Knowledge Network

Archive references

Sources

2 scholarly sources
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Source and quality checks completed

Quality check completed 2026-08-24

◈Based on 2 scholarly sources◈Last updated 2026-08-24