A Moral Framework for War in the 21st Century

Abstract

Just War Theory is the predominant moral framework used today to talk about the justness or morality of war. It has its roots firmly embedded in the Westphalian state system. For the strategic operating environment that existed during the Westphalian era, Just War theory was more than adequate to the task. However, in the post WWII era the strategic operating environment has changed dramatically. The most significant indicator of this change is the rise of transnational terrorism and the advent of Weapons of Mass Destruction. The nexus of these two factors constitutes a threat that could not be imagined in the Westphalian era and that Just War theory does not adequately address. A new moral framework for war is necessary to adequately address the justness and morality of war in the 21st century.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Mar 26, 2009
Accession Number
ADA498210

Entities

People

  • John R. Leaphart

Organizations

  • United States Army War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Counter WMD
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Chemical Weapons
  • Christianity
  • Governments
  • Human Rights
  • International Law
  • Law
  • Morals (Social Psychology)
  • Nuclear Weapons
  • Personnel Management
  • Psychology
  • Second World War
  • Terrorism
  • Terrorists
  • United States
  • War Colleges
  • Weapons
  • Weapons Of Mass Destruction

Readers

  • Strategic Security Studies