Miss Harris "Just War Theory"

Molly Lorenz
Miss Harris
USA History II
11/06/07
Just War Theory Thoughts
The Just War Criteria has two sections- Just decision and Just conduct. Total, there are 9 bullet points, though one is repeated twice, once in each category. The theory limits any man without proper authority to declare war, thus mandating that there is a reason behind the declaration, as our authorized man cannot just declare wars right and left, but has to run it by other people first. It also protects the countries' laws, although there really is not an adequate way of punishing those individuals who did not respect those laws. All in all, I'd have to say that yes, I do agree with the Just War Theory.
I agree with it because it protects as many people as possible. It protects soldiers by not allowing them to be shot at if they are unarmed. It protects small countries, uninvolved countries, and even big countries from a random war declaration. It makes war the very last resort- all methods of peacefully fixing the situation must be exhausted first. Its very first point seems to make certain the fact that even declared by a "legitimate authority", a war will not happen for no reason, stating that "the war must have a just cause".
I think that if something has been around for centuries, chances are such that it is doing something right. Many people drew bits and pieces of what was later known as The Just War Theory from Marcus Tullius Cicero, who was born in 106BC. That was well over 2000 years ago. This theory, though, is not a theory at all- but more of a "proposal of practical reasons" according to Anglican theologian Oliver O'Donovan- and as such, it seems to capture your moral attention. Most of the Just War Theory is morally influenced, however, and probably almost everyone can support more then one of these points. Even if you are against war, as I am, there is that previously mentioned criteria that before a war even is declared, every nonviolent option must be tried first, for example.
In my personal opinion, I absolutely think that the Just War Theory is just as applicable today as it was when it originated, if not more-so, as our weaponry has advanced into nuclear missiles. According to the theory one country may not attack another country with a dangerous weapon like a smart bomb if the receiving country is not in possession of a similarly destructive weapon. Also, uninvolved countries cannot be purposefully targeted, thus they remain unaffiliated. The proportionality point asks if the proposed result of the war will outweigh all the destruction and death it has caused- a point which I asked about all wars before even learning about the theory. As science gets more advance, I think that the Just War Theory will continue to apply globally, protecting civilians, such as myself, and unarmed soldiers alike.