Just War

by Paul Ramsey

Recent conflicts, such as the Persian Gulf War of the 1990s and the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001 show that the idea of what constitutes a 'just war' remains a crucial issue in politics and ethics today. With a new foreword by noted theologian and ethicist Stanley Hauerwas, this classic text on war and the ethics of modern statecraft written at the height of the Vietnam era in 1968 speaks to a new generation of readers. In defending...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0819133574
• ISBN13: 9780819133571
• Release Date: July 1983
• Publisher: University Press of America
• Weight: 1.70 lbs.

Customer Reviews

A Good Work to Have

This book by Paul Ramsey is intelligent and insightful in its discussion of the just war doctrine. While many would say the best work on the doctrine in the last 40 years is Walzer's "Just and Unjust Wars," I consider this far superior.Ramsey, a Methodist theologian, considers the doctrine in terms of his religion. This is quite helpful, as the doctrine (at its inception and for most of its history) was intermixed with theology. By taking religion seriously, Ramsey manages to show some of the errors of modern just war theory, especially as regards questions with ius in bello.Along with this, Ramsey dedicates chapters to enduring and difficult questions for the doctrine, regarding nuclear deterrence as well as counter-insurgency combat (to name merely two). Ramsey is able to get the reader to think through the hard questions, and think seriously about the just war doctrine, what it means and what it requires.There is only one criticism I have of the book. It is a collection of articles and such that Ramsey wrote. As such, the reader will often times find the same arguments or preliminary discussions repeated over and over again. This can tend to make the book a bit of a hard read, as at times the reader will think s/he is just re-reading a previous chapter, thanks to the repetition. Trudging through it is worthwhile, but it does slow down the pace of reading.There is only one other possible critique, depending upon what the reader is interested in. Some chapters are dedicated to discussing issues (and a translation problem) of the papal encyclical "Pacem in Terris." For Catholics (like myself) or those interested in modern Catholic interpretations on war, these chapters are quite helpful. However, I'm not sure if others would find them as interesting. Just something for the potential reader to keep in mind.All in all, and excellent work that should be read by anyone interested in the just war doctrine. Highly recommended.