War and NonViolence

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War and Non-Violence

• By Michael Brophy, Jarvis Mariategue, Katie
  Nolan, Douglas Ryan, Jaclyn Siniora

2

• Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial
  political and moral questions of our time the
  need for mankind to overcome oppression and
  violence without resorting to oppression and
  violence. Martin Luther King Jr.
• Definition of War

• Ethical Questions
• Pacifism
• Just War Theory The Saints
• Militarism

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Ethical Questions

• How do we balance defense of human rights through
  violence and respect for the dignity of human
  life?
• How do we set up a structure/process to decide
  when to go to war?
• How can we respect religious values and the
  desires of the government while maintaining
  secular government?

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Pacifism

• Peace rather than violence
• Turning the Other cheek
• Offensive war of any kind is not morally
  justifiable
• conscientious objectors have often been accorded
  a special recognition for their moral bravery in
  refusing to take up arms.

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Pacifism (contd)

• war and/or killing are unconditionally wrong
• Loving our neighbor, even those who oppose us, is
  an integral part of non violence
• Jesus is not advocating passive cowardice, but
  active no- violence courage

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Pacifism (contd)

• Three general aspects derived from the nature of
  peaceful relations
• 1st absolute prohibition of war
• 2nd the absolute prohibition of violence
• 3rd the absolute prohibition of killing
• Pacifists hold an ethic of non-violence, which
  underpins both their disdain of killing and of war

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Just War Theory

• Find justification for war
• Can something as harmful as war ever be
  justified?
• War not always evil, not just a tool
• States have rights and duties
• Sometimes must go to war for good of citizens, to
  preserve own rights
• Founded by Augustine, Thomas Aquinas

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Beginning of War Jus Ad Bello

• 6 Criteria all must be filled
• Just Cause
• Right Intention
• Proper Authority and Public Declaration
• Last Resort
• Probability of Success
• Proportionality

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Conduct Jus In Bello

• 6 criteria
• Use only accepted weapons
• Attack only military targets
• Proportionality
• Rights of POWS
• No immoral tactics
• No reprisal against immoral opponents

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St. Thomas Aquinas and the Just War Theory

• outlines the Just War Theory in Summa Theologicae
• discusses the justification of war and the kinds
  of activity that are permissible in war
• it became the model for later Scholastics and
  Jurists to expand
• he invoked Christian concepts of charity and
  mercy

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St. Augustine and the Just War Theory

• along with Cicero and Aristotle, he created the
  Just War Theory
• origins of the traditions come from Augustines
  City of God
• he established his guidelines as a natural
  extension of Romans 13 1-7
• his main value was to love ones neighbor

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Militarism

• The advocation of violence and/or military power
  to resolve or prevent conflict
• Militarism accepts war as an inevitable aspect
  of human existence and concludes, therefore, that
  it is a reliable and acceptable means of
  achieving goals

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Militarism (contd)

• The most important possession of a state, its
  be-all and end-all, is powerThe idea of
  perpetual peace is an illusion supported only by
  those of weak characterGod will see to it that
  war always recurs as a drastic medicine for the
  human raceWar is elevating because the
  individual disappears before the great conception
  of the state -Heinrich von Treitschke
• Nineteenth Century German Philosopher

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Conclusion

• Balancing human rights between violence and
  respect for the dignity of human life
• A structure/process for going to war
• Respect of Religious Values Government Values
• Background Layout

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Bibliography

• "Origins of the Theory." Just War A Post 9/11
  Perspective. Mr. Holyoke College. 5 Oct 2006
  lthttp//www.mtholyoke.edu/7Esmvennel/politics116/
  justwar/originsoftheory.htmlgt.
• Moseley, Ph.D., Alex. "Just War Theory." Internet
  Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 2001. 5 Oct 2006
  lthttp//homepage.newschool.edu/siung/SundaySchool
  /200401/JusticeWar/Just20War20Theory.htmgt.
• "Pacifism." Standford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
  6 Oct 2006 lthttp//plato.stanford.edu/entries/paci
  fism/gt.
• "Pacifism." The Internet encyclopedis of
  Philosphy. 6 Oct 2006 lthttp//www.iep.utm.edu/p/pa
  cifism.htmgt.
• Orend, "War." Stanford Encyclopedia of
  Philosophy. 2005. 6 Oct 2006 http//plato.stanford
  .edu/entries/war/.
• Macksey, "War." Catholic Encyclopedia. 2003. New
  Advent. 6 Oct 2006 http//www.newadvent.org/cathen
  /15546c.htm.
• Watts, Sara. "Nationalism, Racism, and
  Militarism." World History. 6 Oct 2006
  lthttp//www.wfu.edu/watts/w10_racism.htmlgt.