Theories of Just War Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Theories of Just War - Essay Example Keeping this in mind, people of this century need to look at the theories that have been recorded in history that regulate the forms of war that states are allowed to wage against any other state or community. The importance of this lies in the fact that it may be able to reduce or eliminate the casualties that occur in today’s world as a result of the wars that have become a regular feature of the political landscape of every continent on the world. It is ironic that even Antarctica is not exempt from being a site of war. The theories of war that exist in contemporary times have to be juxtaposed with those that were proposed by religious thinkers like Thomas Aquinas and St. Augustine. Any theory of war that needs to stand the test of time needs to fulfil the basic purpose of its establishment- the meting out of justice. In this context, it would be useful to look at the theories of justice that have been a part of human historical records. Prominent among these are the ones o f Plato and Aristotle. These two thinkers have had a profound effect upon the theories of justice that have come after them. ... The criteria that the state must follow to decide which person upon which it can confer citizenship and which one it cannot is one that may seem unjust to some at present. These were based on laws that were created during the times of Ancient Greece and they were done when Greece was one of the greatest powers in the earth. To restrict foreigners from entering the land and establishing their rights was one of the main concerns of the state. Aristotle’s arguments need to be seen in this light. When viewed in the light of the democratic societies that present observers are used to, Aristotle’s arguments that have a profound impact on the development of present conceptions of the sovereignty of a state may appear to be unjust to certain sections of the society. Seemingly unjust powers are granted to the state that would enable it to treat its citizens in an arbitrary manner. The state is also shown to be the ultimate reason for the existence of the citizen. This can be see n from the fact that Aristotle considers it to be of more importance for a person t be a good citizen than a good person. The goodness of a person is determined by the utility of his self to the state (Clayton). These theories of citizenship and justice can be extended to understand the powers that Aristotle may have envisaged for the state in relation to other states. The sovereignty of other states too, thus is not important, in the same way that the sovereignty of an individual is unimportant. In this context, all the actions of the state, including an unjust war may be justified and the arbitrary nature of the decisions of the state would ensure that dissent is not a part of the solutions that the citizens of a particular state may