Is Just War Possible?

Christopher Finlay (Author)

9781509526505, Polity Press

Paperback / softback, published 12 October 2018

140 pages
18.8 x 12.2 x 0.8 cm, 0.159 kg

"It has become common to criticise just war theory (and just war theorists) for being overly abstract, and thus for offering little practical guidance to citizens, politicians, and combatants. That is not a criticism one can level at Finlay's book. On the contrary, his rich and illuminating account of the conditions under which war is just - or at least less unjust than not fighting at all, or fighting without restraint - is anchored in a nuanced and sensitive awareness of the moral and political realities of warfare."
—Cecile Fabre, All Souls College, Oxford

The idea that war is sometimes justified is deeply embedded in public consciousness. But it is only credible so long as we believe that the ethical standards of just war are in fact realizable in practice.

In this engaging book, Christopher Finlay elucidates the assumptions underlying just war theory and defends them from a range of objections, arguing that it is a regrettable but necessary reflection of the moral realities of international politics. Using a range of historical and contemporary examples, he demonstrates the necessity of employing the theory on the basis of careful moral appraisal of real-life political landscapes and striking a balance between theoretical ideals and the practical realities of conflict.

This book will be a crucial guide to the complexities of just war theory for all students and scholars of the ethics and political theory of war.

Table of Contents

Subject Areas: Politics & government [JP]