Just War: The Just War Tradition: Ethics in Modern Warfare

Just War: The Just War Tradition: Ethics in Modern Warfare

by Michael Quinlan (Author), Michael Quinlan (Author), Lord Charles Guthrie (Author)

Synopsis

Every society and every period of history has had to face the reality of war. War inevitably yields situations in which the normal ethical rules of society have to be overridden. The Just War tradition has evolved over the centuries as a careful endeavour to impose moral discipline and humanity on resort to war and in its waging, and the tradition deserves our attention now as much as ever. Just War traces the origin and nature of the tradition from its roots in Christian thinking and provides a clear summary of its principles, which are accessible to all beliefs. As the circumstances and necessities of war have changed over time, so too have the practical interpretations of the tradition. Drawing examples from Kosovo, Afghanistan and the wars in Iraq, Charles Guthrie and Michael Quinlan look at the key concepts in relation to modern armed conflict. The tradition sets rational limits and respects the adversary's humanity amid the chaos of war, and provides systematic questions which governments and armed forces must ask themselves before they engage in war. This short but powerful book is a timely re-examination of its tenets and their relevance in the twenty-first century, setting out the case for a workable and credible moral framework for modern war before, while and after it is waged.

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More Information

Format: Hardcover
Pages: 51
Edition: 1st
Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Published: 26 Sep 2007

ISBN 10: 0747595577
ISBN 13: 9780747595571
Book Overview: Sir Michael Quinlan and Lord Guthrie are extremely well-respected and authoritative figures who are well-connected among key politicians, civil servants, think tanks and journalists. Extremely topical, this will generate serious discussion across the media, and has already attracted praise from the former Chief of the Defence Staff and the current Chief of the General Staff.

Media Reviews
'I very much welcome this addition to the debate on Just War by two of the leading practitioners and thinkers of our generation. The concerns that led to the original formulation of Just War thinking are perhaps even more pertinent now in today's complex operating environment.' General Sir Richard Dannatt, Chief of the General Staff 'This book has an importance out of proportion to its size. The Just War tradition remains wholly relevant today and for the future, and perhaps Cabinets should be reminded of it whenever they are minded to commit our armed forces to conflict. Those in positions of authority would be wise to read the book.' Field Marshal Lord Inge, Chief of the Defence Staff 1994-7 'A remarkable book, small in size but with great clarity and insight into moral and ethical principles that need to be understood and reaffirmed' Henry Kissinger
Author Bio
General Lord Guthrie of Craigiebank, GCB LVO OBE, was commissioned in 1959 and served with the Welsh Guards and the Special Air Service. He was Commander of NATO's Northern Army Group 1992-3, Chief of the General Staff 1994-7 and Chief of the Defence Staff 1997-2001. He became a member of the House of Lords in 2001. Sir Michael Quinlan, GCB, was a civil servant for thirty-eight years (1954-92), thirty of them in posts concerned with defence. He was Policy Director in the Ministry of Defence 1977-81 and Permanent Under-Secretary of State 1988-92. Since 2004 he has been a Consulting Senior Fellow at the International Institute for Strategic Studies.