Just War Concept: From the Early Ages Upto Present

Abstract

When taken as an aspect of "thinking on war", the concept of "just war" can be defined to include the ideas and practices that demonstrate when it could be justifiable to conduct a "war" and that aim at limiting the use of force even when it is deemed a just war. The concept of just war is a product of various cultural sources that have developed for centuries especially in the Western world. This study examines the historical development of the concept of "just war" and attempts to demonstrate the place that the tradition reached today. With this purpose in mind, the study, first of all, tries to explain the terms of "jus ad bellum" and "jus in bello" that together draw the conceptual framework of the theory of war and at the same time constitute the two different dimensions of the theory. Historical development of the concept is examined in sequential phases that correspond to philosophical contributions to the tradition. The classification is based on the historical development of the West, because the concept itself is an element of the Western culture and tradition.

Keywords

Just war, law of war, jus in bello, jus ad bellum.

Citation

Ereker, Fulya A., “Just War Concept: From the Early Ages Upto Present”, International Relations, Volume 1, Issue 3 (Fall 2004), pp. 1-36.

Affiliations

• Fulya A. Ereker, Research Assistant, Ankara University, Social Sciences Institute, Department of International Relations