Cicero’s criteria for a just war are an interesting one. He discusses the justification of war in multifaceted angles while bringing into context what may or not be regarded as a justified war. According to Cicero, the right to should and must be strictly adhered to. He opines that there are two ways of solving disputes; one is by discussion y all parties involved in the disagreement while the other is through physical force. According to Cicero, one can only resort to war where the other party in the conflict does not present themselves to the table of discussion ( Rengger, 2013) . In his understanding and description of just war, Cicero admits that the justification of war is for the sake of living unharmed in the future. According to Rengger (2013). Cicero says that w henever one defeats the other, they should seek to spare the enemy and their generations. The American war on Iraq, according to Cicero’s criteria for a just war is justified. Just as Cicero mentions on the first option of peaceful resolution through discussion, America had in the past fruitlessly tried to hold talks with Iraq over its position on nuclear weapons. However, when the discussions proved futile and directionless, America was left with one option; war. It had to attack Iraq and destroy nuclear plants in its territories for the sake of future peaceful living; this is a justified preventive war.
Hobbes on his part creates a new understanding of the justified war phenomenon. He discusses the case of combatants forfeiting their rights of life and being ready to be killed, especially f they pose a threat to the other people. Therefore, Hobbes tries to argue that the elements and the principles that control other areas of war are entirely different from those that control other areas of life. In his proposition over just war, he says that non-combatants should resort to fighting in the case where their lives are in threat and war is their act of self-defense ( Ryan, 2015) . The Hobbesian theory argues for civilian immunity whereby the combatants are not supposed to harm the innocent civilians at any cost. In the full understanding of the Hobbes principles of just war, the preventive wars are entirely justified. The preemptive war, such as was seen in the case of US and Iraq, was warranted. The nations may resort to defend themselves against potential attacks by initiating war on their enemies while keeping them at bay ( Ryan, 2015) . While on it, Hobbes argues that the civilians and the innocent people should be protected and no innocent life should be lost in this course.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
Gandhi was a passionate humanitarian leader focused on his duty. Is philosophy extended beyond borders, owing to his beautiful work that touched on everyone’s life? Gandhi is widely known for his non-violent approach to dispute resolution. He is a proponent for peace, and his views on war as a contemporary means of achieving peace is on the record. According to Gandhi, war demoralizes those who are trained for it and makes them slightly animalistic. His philosophy on Satyagraha which is a majorly non-violent approach to dispute resolution stands to date ( Whetham, 2016) . In any case, he saw all form so war, both preventive and preemptive as the most significant challenge that faced the contemporary world. According to him, the only way to achieve peace was by shunning all acts of violence, embracing each other in brotherhood and discussing all the issues that would lead to any case of war ( Whetham, 2016) . Gandhi does not see the justification in all forms of combat, be it preemptive of preventive; he stands for a peaceful resolution and peaceful coexistence.
The current world is thriving with many challenges. The society is changing, socially, culturally, economically and politically. For that reason, there is more than one case that may force or lead a country to war. The aggression experienced against innocent civilians through terrorism and blatant production of weapons of mass destruction is a real case of concern. Therefore, according to the continuous generation of these challenges war is inevitable. The preventive war and preemptive wars are ethically proven especially in instances where diplomacy has failed; as it has in many cases.
References
Rengger, N. (2013). Just war and international order: The uncivil condition in world politics . Cambridge University Press.
Ryan, A. (2015). On Hobbes: Escaping the War of All Against All (Liveright Classics) . WW Norton & Company.
Whetham, D. (2016). Ethics and the Enduring Relevance of Just War Theory in the Twenty-First Century1. The Ashgate Research Companion to Modern Warfare .
