The Cambridge Handbook of the Just War (Cambridge Handbooks in Philosophy)

What makes a war just? What makes a specific weapon, strategy, or decision in war just? The tradition of Just War Theory has provided answers to these questions since at least 400 AD, yet each shift in the weapons and strategies of war poses significant challenges to Just War Theory. This book assembles renowned scholars from around the world to reflect on the most pressing problems and questions in Just War Theory, and engages with all three stages of war: jus ad bellum, jus in bello, and jus post bellum. Providing detailed historical context as well as addressing modern controversies and topics including drones, Islamic jihad, and humanitarian intervention, the volume will be highly important for students and scholars of the philosophy of war as well as for others interested in contemporary global military and ethical issues. Contents Contributors Foreword Introduction Part I Historical Background 1 The Just War Tradition in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages 2 Grotius and the Early Modern Tradition Part II Initiating a Just War 3 State Defense 4 Just Cause and the Continuous Application of Jus ad Bellum 5 The Condition of Last Resort 6 The Moral Problems of Asymmetric War Part III Conducting a Just War 7 Individual Self-Defense in War 8 Distinction and Civilian Immunity 9 Proportionality and Necessity in Bello 10 Weighing Civilian Lives in War: Domestic versus Foreign 11 Drone Warfare and the Principle of Discrimination Part IV Just War and International Legal Theory 12 Jus ad Bellum 13 The Basic Structure of Jus in Bello 14 Necessity and Proportionality in International Law 15 Humanitarianism: Neutrality, Impartiality, and Humanity 16 The Challenge to the Laws of War by Islamic Jihad Afterword Bibliography Index "This book assembles renowned scholars from around the world to reflect on the most pressing problems and questions in Just War Theory, and engages with all three stages of war: jus ad bellum, jus in bello, and jus post bellum. Providing detailed historical context as well as addressing modern controversies and topics including drones, Islamic jihad, and humanitarian intervention, the volume will be highly important for students and scholars of the philosophy of war as well as for others interested in contemporary global military and ethical issues"--Provided by publisher An up-to-date and accessible yet incisive treatment of Just War Theory, its historical background, and the challenges it faces from modern warfare and technologies. Exploring all three stages of war (before, during, and after), international experts analyze contemporary issues, including drones and Islamic jihad, from fresh perspectives.