The just war theory describes the purposes of war and the conditions through which it should be fought. It was mainly developed by Christian theologians, and it attempts to protect innocent lives, argue that taking human lives is very wrong and that states have to defend justice and a duty to defend their citizens. It gives conditions on how the war should be fought and the way to judge the war if it occurs. The theory can be used by any individual regardless of their faith and beliefs. The objective of the just war theory is to offer guidelines on how different countries should act during potential conflict situations ( Johnson, 2014) . However, it only applies to countries or states but not individuals. The theory does not justify wars but aims at preventing wards by looking at alternative ways of solving conflicts. The theory believes that a just war is permissible, but it is still evil. The theory originated from philosophers such as Cicero and Plato and was incorporated by the views of Christian theologians such as Thomas Aquinas and Augustine. It has two elements: Jus in Bello or how to conduct ethical wars and Jus ad Bellum or the situations when military force is justified. Some wars had noble causes but were considered unjust because of the manner they were fought.
Realism is a school of thought that is highly divisive but unified by a common notion that that world politics consists of conflicts and different actors aiming for power. Classic realists believe that the source of the conflict is the corrupt human nature. Neutralists believe that the source of conflict is related to the structure and organization of their anarchic state system while neoclassical realists believe that the source of conflict is a combination of both the anarchic state system and the corrupt human nature. While the just war theory attempts to control the conduct of war, realism argues that wars should be fought by all available resources and there should be no restraint. It insists that having moral limits would actually increase the destruction and suffering. Realism states that war should not be subject to various moral restraints and it should be an absolute war carried out with the entire resources of a state ( Johnson, 2014) . The concept of peace can be achieved by nuclear deterrence. It is a concept that allowed peace to prevail during the cold war between the US and the Soviet Union. It ensures relative peace among nuclear powers.
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The catholic natural war according to St. Thomas Aquinas can only be just if it has the right intention, waged by lawful public good if it defends the common good, and if it is waged for a just cause. The natural law also insists that force can only be used when other forms of reconciliation fail and as a last resort. A just war should only be used to correct certain evils, there should be a high probability of success, and the benefits of the war should be greater than the disorder and destruction caused by the war. The Catholic Church believes that it is wrong to wage war to increase the sphere of influence, increase territory, subjugate other communities, or to increase wealth ( d'Entreves, 2017) . The natural law also argues that all sacred places should not be harmed and that all noncombatants such as medical personnel, civilians or religious leaders should not be targeted. It also insists that private property should be valued and should only be taken away if it will assist in the war. Furthermore, the stronger country should always give ultimatums before waging war. Also, it may be justified to wage war if it will assist citizens who are being tyrannized by their government.
References
d'Entreves, A. P. (2017). Natural law: An introduction to legal philosophy . Routledge.
Johnson, J. T. (2014). Just war tradition and the restraint of war: a moral and historical inquiry . Princeton University Press.
