When does morality win in war?

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Published: Apr 21, 2025
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/pr.v2.36178
Keywords:
morality war just war theory utilitarianism philosophy
Theofilos Perperidis
a:1:{s:5:"en_US";s:36:"Aristotle University of Thessaloniki";}
Abstract

Morality in war has long been a topic of scholarly and political discussion. Just war theory suggests three dimensions of war that should be morally considered: whether it is justified to wage war, how a war could be fought justly, and how can justice be guaranteed after a war. To this day, there has not been any definitive consensus on what makes a war just or on how morality in war should be approached. The purpose of this essay is to answer the question of when morality prevails in war. According to the argument put forth, morality prevails when the state upholds the right to national defence insofar as it serves as a means for a people to exercise their right to collective self-determination, and that is because this is the most effective way to guarantee that the largest number of people will benefit the most over time.

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