Augustine's Just War Theory Essay

Augustine’s just war theory, jus ad bellum and jus in bello, provides a series of criteria of which, in theory, must be met in order for a war to be considered just. The criterion is then separated into two segments. Jus ad bellum refers to the morality surrounding going to war or when is going to war justified. Jus in bello refers to the moral conduct within war or how does one conduct a just war. When going to war and conducting war, these principles and guidelines must be followed or the morality of the war is not considered just by Augustine’s doctrine. However, there are many criticisms of Augustine’s principles. Augustine’s jus ad bellum, the former, describes the necessary and sufficient conditions for justifying engagement in war.
Ideally, this theory seems very clear and straightforward. But realistically, war is not black and white as this theory assumes it to be. It is hard to judge whether the proper force is used and whether the all other options have been truly exhausted. It is also difficult to judge whether a cause is significant enough to call for war. This is because war is a result of response to other human actions and conflicts. There is much more to consider when dealing with the repercussions of human wrongdoings, justices and injustices. This is the implication and nature of human beings. We are not always capable of making the best decisions. Only the highest authority must know what truly is just and unjust. Augustine is aware of this himself. To make up for this Augustine attempts to give this ability to the political authorities hoping they would act justly. But seen clearly in the acts of today’s terrorism, wrongdoings, and judicial rulings, the origin of corruptness takes place in the hands of those who are granted with the position to act and rule justly. Augustine’s just war theory is applicable for a more sensible and morally sound society. Its applications do not hold much weight now because of our society’s inability to judge morally, correctly, and justly all the time like the supreme good and the highest