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Other opinions about ethics in war
Other opinions about ethics in war
The effects of war in the society
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The topic of war has sparked up a lot of debate over the years. War arises when two or more views heavily oppose each other, and as a result, engage in violence. After the bloodshed, war is ended by either agreement or surrender. However, some situations may cause war to recur, as another motive for war may arise, such as revenge. Since 3600 BC, there have been more than 14,500 major wars recorded with more than 4 billion casualties (The facts on War and Peace, 1999). Many argue that war is needed simply because it is effective, while others may oppose stating many immoral decisions have resulted from war. For example, deploying child soldiers is not a new fact, as there are currently 300,000 active child soldiers around the world (The facts on War and Peace, 1999). The effectiveness of war is questionable, however that is not the focal point of this essay. Instead, this essay will explore war in a moral sense. By presenting arguments from both opposing views, this essay will ultimately explain why war is not …show more content…
Even though the argument has shown validity, a counterexample can be used to decrease its soundness. The food chain can be used as a counterexample for this argument, as many organisms are killed, yet it has been accepted by humans and other species as well. The food chain is a system which ensures survival of the fittest: the stronger species will kill the weaker species and use them as food. Since the weaker species have not done any harm, they are innocent. Therefore, innocent lives are lost. Along with the many organisms involved in this system, humans are one of the biggest predators, as they use their preys as food, clothing, and other resources. Since the food chain is a natural system, which is needed for the prolonged survival for many species, it is seen as morally
War is the means to many ends. The ends of ruthless dictators, of land disputes, and lives – each play its part in the reasoning for war. War is controllable. It can be avoided; however, once it begins, the bat...
War is a hard thing to describe. It has benefits that can only be reaped through its respective means. Means that, while necessary, are harsh and unforgiving. William James, the author of “The Moral Equivalent of War”, speaks only of the benefits to be had and not of the horrors and sacrifices found in the turbulent times of war. James bears the title of a pacifist, but he heralds war as a necessity for society to exist. In the end of his article, James presents a “war against nature” that would, in his opinion, stand in war’s stead in bringing the proper characteristics to our people. However, my stance is that of opposition to James and his views. I believe that war, while beneficial in various ways, is unnecessary and should be avoided at all costs.
“Never think that war, no matter how necessary, nor how justified, is not a crime.” As depicted in the quote by Ernest Hemingway war is a difficult situation in which the traditional boundaries of moral ethics are tested. History is filled with unjust wars and for centuries war was not though in terms of morality. Saint Augustine, however, offered a theory detailing when war is morally permissible. The theory offers moral justifications for war as expressed in jus ad bellum (conditions for going to war) and in jus in bello (conditions within warfare).The theory places restrictions on the causes of war as well as the actions permitted throughout. Within early Christianity, the theory was used to validate crusades as morally permissible avoiding conflict with religious views. Based on the qualifications of the Just War Theory few wars have been deemed as morally acceptable, but none have notably met all the requirements. Throughout the paper I will apply Just War Theory in terms of World War II as well as other wars that depict the ideals presented by Saint Augustine.
Many, including the Catholic Church, judge the justifications of a war based on several factors given in the “just war theory,” which is used to evaluate the war based on its causes and means. The first required factor is a just cause, meaning that a nation’s decision to begin a war must be due to “substantial aggression” brought about by the opposition which cannot be resolved through non-violent solutions without excessive cost whereas armed conflict is not hopeless or excessively costly (“Just War Theory”1). In most cases, wars are started for a reason; however, many of these reasons are for the benefit of the governments who start the wars. The just war theory is widely accepted as a way to determine the moral standing of the reasons. This part of the theory is to ensure that the objective of a war is a reasonable and moral one. It prevents the needless bloodshed and loss of human lives over petty disputes while still protecting the rights and lives of the innocent by acknowledging the necessity of war in dire situations.
Relations between countries are similar to interpersonal relations. When the conflicts between countries escalates to some extent, any resolutions become unrealistic except violence, and wars then occur. Although wars already include death and pain, moralists suggest that there should still be some moral restrictions on them, including the target toward whom the attack in a war should be performed, and the manner in which it is to be done. A philosopher named Thomas Nagel presents his opinion and develops his argument on such topic in the article “War and Massacre”. In this essay, I will describe and explain his main argument, try to propose my own objection to it, and then discuss how he would respond to my objection.
The just war theory is described by Thomas Massaro in his book Living Justice as the “principle that warfare might be justified under certain conditions” (108). The complexities involved with international relations makes determining a just war very difficult. Even though historically pacifism hasn’t gained much traction within Catholic circles, it currently is gaining popularity with many mainstream Catholics. With so many differing views on military action, one might ask, “What determines a just war? How can we balance the need for peace with self-defense?” An examination of criteria for a just war and critiques written on this topic might shed light on these two questions.
...Siegel, 94) over its tail and that it was without a cockpit. Easy and cheap to make, the light craft was only just over 25 feet long and carried a wingspan of 17 12 feet, and ran on easily available standard gasoline. Its small jet engine gave it enough power to carry a 1,870-pound warhead. Although it was cheap and simply made, it lacked accuracy. The most specific point that the Germans could hit with the V-1 was Greater London, and nothing smaller (Siegel, 94). Yet, despite its imprecision, the V-1 did impact the Axis during its short lifespan.
War has always been something to be dreaded by people since nothing good comes from it. War affects people of all ages, cultures, races and religion. It brings change, destruction and death and these affect people to great extents. “Every day as a result of war and conflict thousands of civilians are killed, and more than half of these victims are children” (Graca & Salgado, 81). War is hard on each and every affected person, but the most affected are the children.
Carl von Clausewitz, “What is War?” On War. Edited and translated by Michael Howard and Peter Paret, 139. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 1976.
The American government and its military officials use deceitful tactics of propaganda to hide the truth about war in order to persuade the American people that their actions are justified. They use various different means of accomplishing deception. All in all, their reasoning for doing this is for the better good. I change my topic from Paper 1 to focus on how using propaganda, while immoral, is beneficial. The topic is interesting to me because as a citizen (1) you don't consider the democracy that you live in will purposely deceive you of what's really going on in the war and (2) however deceitful it is there is some positives to find in propaganda. The documentary War Made Easy: How Presidents & Pundits Keep Spinning Us to Death displays several scenarios where American government officials have purposely deceived its citizens. For years, propaganda has been used during war to depict the reasoning behind war, and to illustrate the damage done by the opposing party during time of war. The American government has used propaganda countless amount of times deceiving the people when
“United in this determination and with unshakable fain in the cause for which we fight, we will, with God’s help, go forward to our greatest victory,” said General Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1944. Eisenhower referenced America in this quote, and how they came together from children and women’s support at home, to the men fighting the war overseas. America showed loyalty to their country throughout World War 2 from the home front to the battlefield, gaining the prestigious effects on America by winning the devastating war.
World War 2 was one of the most deadliest war in our world 's history having as many as sixty million civilians that lost their lives during this war.It impacted a lot of countries as a matter of fact it impacted the whole world.It also damaged the countries involved greatly, and let the downfall of western european countries as world powers, leaving it to the soviet union and the united states. The war started in 1939 and ended in 1945 also, economic changes occurred to big countries such as Germany, Great Britain, United States, Japan, Russia, and France, (Darman, 20). World War 2 was undoubtedly one of the most important events in history not only for what happened throughout the six years of war but also the aftermath of the war. Beyond
We are told that this war wasn’t about killing; but about serving and honoring your country. However, one question always stirred up, but can never be answered. What did cause the most horrifying war to ever take place on the battlefield? Nothing. One word could describe World War I: stupid. WWI did not have to happen; there was no explicit reason and was an absolute mistake. To think that during every battle about 19,000 soldiers were killed all for nothing. But there was no legitimate reason to why everyday people were ‘serving’ and ‘honoring’ their country, only to die. People had the choice of peace or war, and yet, time after time, they chose war.
The concept of “just war” dates way back to the inception of war itself. The just war theory was often brought up in wars for the consideration of innocent people who were not involved in the war. It was a way of keeping people from going beyond the limits that were set up for any particular war. We see this theory take place in the Bible where there is a moral stance that takes place for ethical reasoning. We too see this theory of just war take place within our government and from the higher powers around the world, with the invention of the atomic bomb. At any given time, a leader of any army could release the most destructive weapon available to them such as the atomic bomb. This has yet to happen because of the moral code that we have set in place. This is a form of what we call “just war.” We
War has been around for centuries. From the time modern civilizations began, war has played an integral part in human history. It shaped the world into the modern world we live in. War has been said to be a great motivator, for example, the Great Wall of China was built to fend off the attackers from the north. However, the negative aspects of war far outweighs any positive effects it might have. The destruction of civilizations, cities and countries, mass killings of men, woman and children alike, the disastrous effect it has on economy and the after effects of war can last for centuries.