Just and Unjust Wars Revisited (Introduction)
12/04/97
As the following papers demonstrate, Michael Walzer’s Just and Unjust Wars continues to provoke thought and debate two decades after its publication. The book remains widely taught in college courses and is cited whenever the morality of war is discussed.
Author(s):
Terry Nardin
Growing Up With Just and Unjust Wars: An Appreciation [Abstract]
12/04/97
Smith provides a summary of Walzer's work, with particular emphasis on his method of moral argument. Walzer's argument emphasizes the importance of moral judgment based on the principle of human rights rather than on utilitarian calculation.
Author(s):
Michael J. Smith
In Defense of Realism: A Commentary on Just and Unjust Wars [Abstract]
12/04/97
Hendrickson takes issue with Walzer's treatment of intervention, self-determination, and the legitimate aims of war, stating that Walzer's framework is permissive and ambiguous and using such a just war theory may lead to significant problems.
Author(s):
David C. Hendrickson
Noncombatant Immunity in Michael Walzer's Just and Unjust Wars [Abstract]
12/04/97
Issues of immunity from attack and the assignment of responsibility for civilian deaths are central to the modern war convention. Koontz addresses several difficulties with Walzer's treatment of noncombatant immunity in Just and Unjust Wars.
Author(s):
Theodore J. Koontz
Just and Unjust Wars: Casuistry and the Boundaries of the Moral World [Abstract]
12/04/97
Joseph Boyle discusses deontology, which derives precepts from moral principles, particularly making a case with reference to Alan Donagan's The Theory of Morality, which appeared the same year as Just and Unjust Wars.
Author(s):
Joseph Boyle
A Response [Abstract]
12/04/97
Responding to the critiques of the four previous authors, Walzer opens with a statement of the inherent imperfection of any theory of war. He reminds us that theories are merely frameworks for decisions and cannot provide answers in and of themselves.
Author(s):
Michael Walzer
