Just War Theory

  Produce an argument about just war theory, whether it is valid as presented, whether changes need to be made in it for contemporary conditions; the application of just war theory to a specific case; the validity of pacifism; why people fight wars; the question of whether war can be ended in human life. • Describe the case in sufficient detail, being sure to include every fact that could conceivably be relevant to an ethical judgment. • Give the arguments on both the pro and con sides. Be sure to include the relevant meta-ethical principles behind each: concepts of God and divine command, ideas of personhood, of what life really means, and what you mean by quality of life. • Tell how a decision would be reached, and what the decision might be, using both deontological and consequentialist principles. • Give your own judgment and defend it in terms of what principles and methods of deciding seem most important to you. Be sure you make clear why you consider them the most important, and how they work in terms of the specific facts of the case as you have presented it.