War must be the last resort after every sensible, non-violent, and diplomatic alternative have been applied and not worked for it to be categorized as a just war. This is because human life is valuable and should not be put at risk without exploring other safer methods such as economic sanctions and withdrawal of financial aid. At the same time, a just war is when force is necessary and in deterring something worse that would happen in the future ( Shaw, 2016) . For instance, the American’s fight against Afghanistan and Iraq was a necessary means to end terrorism that has devastating effects. In this view, it is morally better to go to war sooner rather than later to deter the enemy from doing more harm or use of more force than in early war.
From the consequentialist theory of utilitarianism, everyone’s welfare has to be taken into account for an action to be deemed as being morally right. Using the utility calculations, there have to be more benefits that overshadow the negative effects of a deed. The utility theory summarizes that it is ethically right to kill one person to save many others ( Shaw, 2016) . Therefore, it is ethically right to go to war only when the benefits are greater and worthwhile than the negative impacts of war. Good and bad consequences should be considered before engaging in any activity. If the ten thousand Greeks did not attack the Persians who had surrounded them in the battle of Cunaxa, Xenophon would not have managed to save his mighty army to arrive at the Coast and meet up with the rest of the Greeks. The war had already started, and it was only fair for the ten thousand soldiers to fight back or get killed.
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References
Shaw, W. H. (2016). Utilitarianism and the Ethics of War . Routledge.
