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Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions
Definitions | Issues | Case Studies | Ethical Responses | Christian Responses | Resources | Books | Links | Multimedia | In the News | Quizzes | Exam questions

Ethical responses to War

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Utilitarianism

Kant

Natural Law

Situation Ethics

Virtue Ethics

Utilitarianism

In Utilitarianism, the end justifies the means. Strictly speaking, a country wouldn't need a just cause to go to war as long as they had the right intention - the greatest good for the greatest number. Since the Iraq War began, there has been a vast amount of cynicism surrounding the decision to go to war and the motives of people like Bush, with Michael Moore's Fahrenheit 9/11 an excellent example, A utilitarian would not support selfish motives. However, utilitarians would be happy for the military or the President to make up a threat so long as the ensuing war made the world a better place.

Rule Utilitarians may have a different approach, arguing that a world where people go to war without a just cause would be an unstable world. Therefore the Just War Criteria, although in many cases not utilitarian, may be necessary to make the world a better place.

Kant's Ethical Theory

Kant would not support needlessly going to war, as it would mean willing that I might be shot, which is contrary to the will. However, his theory would support declaring war in defense of others. We could happily universalise a maxim that said we should go to war to defend another country from attack - because we too would want to be defended if we were attacked.

Kant also said we should never treat humanity 'merely as a means to an end'. However, soldiers are fighting for their own safety, and they are paid. If soldiers had no vested interest in making the world a safer place, then they would be merely being used. This means we would have to look closely at the justification for going to war to see if Kant would support it.

 

Natural Law

One Primary Precept is that we should 'protect and preserve the innocent', which would justify going to war to defend others. However, Natural Law theorists would see this very much as a last resort. They would also criticise the way in which wars are fought, with a lack of respect for human beings.

Another Primary Precept says that we should live in an 'ordered society'. If an attack threatens the structure and authority of our society, this may justify our retaliation.

It is worth noting, however, that early Catholics were largely pacifist. The principles of Natural Law are based on the concept of the sanctity of life - all life is sacred. It is impossible to fight a war without some innocent people being killed, so every other possible solution must be sought before war is declared.

Situation Ethics

Situation Ethics demands that we do the most loving thing. This may mean going to war - Augustine said that while we may go to war, we should love our enemies (as Jesus instructed) even as we kill them. However, situation ethics would be against the use of excessive force, using nuclear, chemical or biological weapons etc.

Virtue Ethics

War is not part of eudaimonia. However, it may be possible to go to war in order to achieve peace, which would be part of eudaimonia.

Virtue Ethics focusses on character, and may argue that soldiers are brave and just, as they stand up for the poor and weak. However, the realities of being a soldier are that you just follow orders - not an example of wisdom, one of the cardinal virtues.

Virtue ethics has something interesting to say about the training of soldiers. If you behave a certain way, you develop that trait. Virtue Ethics may suggest that it is wrong to train soldiers to hate and kill, as they will continue to behave that way. An example from film is 'First Blood' - the first film featuring Rambo, a soldier returning from Vietnam who starts killling people one by one. A more recent, and real, example is the treatment of Iraqi prisoners at Abu Grhaib.These soldiers were trained to hate, so is it any surprise that this is what they did?

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