Just Wars: From Cicero to Iraq

by Alex J. Bellamy

In what circumstances is it legitimate to use force? How should force be used? These are two of the most crucial questions confronting world politics today. The Just War tradition provides a set of criteria which political leaders and soldiers use to defend and rationalize war. This book explores the evolution of thinking about just wars and examines its role in shaping contemporary judgements about the use of force, from grand strategic issues of whether states have a right to pre-emptive
self-defence, to the minutiae of targeting. Bellamy maps the evolution of the Just War tradition, demonstrating how it arose from a myriad of sub-traditions, including scholasticism, the holy war tradition, chivalry, natural law, positive law, Erasmus and Kant's reformism, and realism from Machiavelli to Morgenthau. He then applies this tradition to a range of contemporary normative dilemmas related to terrorism, pre-emption, aerial bombardment and humanitarian intervention.

Genres: Politics, War, History, Nonfiction

296 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2006

Reviews

[Mayra Zak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although the book relies on facts and takes you through a journey that starts in Ancient Greek and ends in our days, the premise behind it is almost philosophical: how did the concept of "just war" changed through history to adapt to the circumstances and need to justify the actions and decisions of those in power ? How has war been rationalized to make it sound almost like a fair thing to do? Well written, straight-to-the-point, awesome book.

[Matthew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Of all the Just War books, this one is at least consistent in its analysis.