just war
Morally defensible combat
Just war is armed conflict considered morally or legally justified under established criteria—typically defensive action against aggression, proportional response, reasonable chance of success, and last resort after other means fail.
The concept comes from medieval Catholic philosophy but shapes modern international law: The invasion met none of the criteria for a just war.
- Geneva ConventionsWartime humanitarian treaties
- pacifismAntiwar moral stance
- moralityRight and wrong principles
- collateral damageUnintended harm from military action
- proportionalityScaling relationship between quantities
Augustine of Hippo · military strategy · Thomas Aquinas · international law · diplomacy · conscience · realism · rules of engagement · responsibility · legitimate authority · peacekeeping · necessity · Crusades · humanitarian law · conflict resolution · duty · treaties · rights
- Catholic social teachingCST, encyclicals, human dignity, subsidiarity, common good
- ancient diplomacyenvoys, ambassadors, emissaries, peace treaties, alliances
- War Ethicsrules of engagement, Geneva Conventions, Geneva Convention, proportionality, legitimate authority
- moral theologyconscience, mortal sin, venial sin, natural law, moral law
- Catholic Politicscommon good, subsidiarity, religious liberty, pro-life movement, Catholic voters
- natural lawnatural law, natural rights, natural order, universal law, moral law
just warwar of aggression
Military attack without provocation
war of conquest · war crime · atrocity · massacre · genocide
just warcolonial war
crusade · holy war · conquest · war of conquest · aggression
just wartotal war
Conflict engaging entire nations
scorched earth · atrocity · massacre · carpet bombing · barbarism
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