The Soldier and a Just War
Abstract
In his article "Innocence, Self-Defense, and Killing in War," Jeff McMahan asks how it can be permissible to voluntarily join the military given the knowledge that one is likely to be used as an instrument of injustice. His question raises troublesome concerns for anyone who desires to serve in the military and also desires to live a morally just life; if McMahan is right, it seems unlikely that one can do both. I will explore this problem by questioning whether or not someone who joins the military gives up the right to judge a war as unjust. I will specifically concern myself with the US soldier. McMahan advances the additional claim that if a war were unjust, then a soldier's actions would be murderous. While there is a necessary connection between an unjust war and the soldier's unjust actions, I argue that soldiers can be called to fight in wars where justness is not known. The facts used to make the determination of justness are often unclear until long after the fighting has started. In wars where the justness is not yet determined, I will argue that soldiers can and should fight justly. I do not offer the stronger argument that a soldier cannot be used as an instrument of injustice. It is sufficient to elucidate how it can be morally permissible to voluntarily join the military. I will show that the US soldier can serve and be morally responsible, because he has the right and responsibility for deciding when he is going to fight.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 1998
- Accession Number
- ADA359087
Entities
People
- Kari A. Thyne
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology