Rough Draft
Ayaha Ikezawa
Mr.Pangier/Mr.Shaffer
European Literature/European History
30 March 2016
Just War Theory
Can war be justified? What is justification? Giving righteous reason to something. Then, can be war used rightfully? Then, is long-lasting peace, impossible to happen?
Here’s one justification of war theory by Thomas Aquinas. He argues that if it has justifiable reasoning to war, it is right to happen. In his theories of war, he states: “First, just war must be waged by a properly instituted authority such as the state”(Aquinas). He means war can be justified, if it has rules to it. However, he also states: “Third, peace must be a central motive even in the midst of violence”(Aquinas). For Thomas Aquinas, war can be justified, if they are under control of superior state, with peace, as its final purpose.
Let’s get some examples. The crusaders. Those were not really war, but invasions, small fights occurring ceaselessly. It was a one-sided European attacks to Muslims. Were those under control of a superior state? The controller was the Roman Church. Was it for peace? It was for conqueror, also merchandise. Crusaders conflict caused lots of lasting-conflicts between Christians and Muslims.
Let’s get another example. The World War 1. Was it under one’s control? No. It was a world war, a war to end all wars. Was it for peace? In some way, but not always. However, after World War 1, a system named United Nations were created. The famous one. We finally found a superior unified, borderless society that can take control internationally, at year 1945. Well, at least trying to. It’s prior purpose is peace, as Aquinas expected: “All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.” (United-Nations Charter).
Another justification theory I found was in the novel “All Quiet on the Western Front”. One major theme that we can pick up from the novel is “devastation”. The protagonist is a young soldier, Paul. His conflict all throughout the novel, is his youth taken by war. Here’s a quote: “Our faces are encrusted, our thoughts are devastated, we are weary to death”(Remarque 133). He also comments about his peer, who first fell to death under a commander’s order. He feels despair that as he get so used to peer’s deaths, as he becomes a veteran at the front, as he becomes so adapted to wartime. He feels himself detached from piece time, from his families and girls. In this novel, the author Remarque presents the idea that young soldiers, are one of the serious victims of the war:
“It is the common fate of our generation.
Albert expresses it: “The war has ruined us for everything.”
He is right”(Remarque 87).
Through this serious concern, there is a scene Remarque presents his own idealism of how war should be: “He proposes that a declaration of war should be a kind of popular festival with entrance-tickets and bands, like a bull fight. Then in the arena the ministers and generals of the two countries, dressed in bathing-drawers and armed with clubs, can have it out among themselves. Whoever survives, his country wins. That would be much simpler and more just than this arrangement, where the wrong people do the fighting”(Remarque 41).
So, let’s conclude this. Can war be justified? In other words, can war be right? Thomas Aquinas argued that war should be under control, and it should come to peace at last. This is what in reality, the United Nation’s goal. Remarque set up his ideal to keeping needless deaths away. Keeping the fight as small as possible.
Can long-lasting peace be possible? My opinion is, that war is necessary for that. The irony fact is that, the past evidence of war, its terribleness remaining in our history, let us know how peace is important. If we don’t fear war, we don’t love peace. We don’t fight wars for peace.
Final sentence: war is necessary. It can serve as solutions to problems. However, it needs control and purpose to it. War needs can exist righteously, under supervision of a superior society, fought for peace. We just needs rules.
Mr.Pangier/Mr.Shaffer
European Literature/European History
30 March 2016
Just War Theory
Can war be justified? What is justification? Giving righteous reason to something. Then, can be war used rightfully? Then, is long-lasting peace, impossible to happen?
Here’s one justification of war theory by Thomas Aquinas. He argues that if it has justifiable reasoning to war, it is right to happen. In his theories of war, he states: “First, just war must be waged by a properly instituted authority such as the state”(Aquinas). He means war can be justified, if it has rules to it. However, he also states: “Third, peace must be a central motive even in the midst of violence”(Aquinas). For Thomas Aquinas, war can be justified, if they are under control of superior state, with peace, as its final purpose.
Let’s get some examples. The crusaders. Those were not really war, but invasions, small fights occurring ceaselessly. It was a one-sided European attacks to Muslims. Were those under control of a superior state? The controller was the Roman Church. Was it for peace? It was for conqueror, also merchandise. Crusaders conflict caused lots of lasting-conflicts between Christians and Muslims.
Let’s get another example. The World War 1. Was it under one’s control? No. It was a world war, a war to end all wars. Was it for peace? In some way, but not always. However, after World War 1, a system named United Nations were created. The famous one. We finally found a superior unified, borderless society that can take control internationally, at year 1945. Well, at least trying to. It’s prior purpose is peace, as Aquinas expected: “All Members shall settle their international disputes by peaceful means in such a manner that international peace and security, and justice, are not endangered.” (United-Nations Charter).
Another justification theory I found was in the novel “All Quiet on the Western Front”. One major theme that we can pick up from the novel is “devastation”. The protagonist is a young soldier, Paul. His conflict all throughout the novel, is his youth taken by war. Here’s a quote: “Our faces are encrusted, our thoughts are devastated, we are weary to death”(Remarque 133). He also comments about his peer, who first fell to death under a commander’s order. He feels despair that as he get so used to peer’s deaths, as he becomes a veteran at the front, as he becomes so adapted to wartime. He feels himself detached from piece time, from his families and girls. In this novel, the author Remarque presents the idea that young soldiers, are one of the serious victims of the war:
“It is the common fate of our generation.
Albert expresses it: “The war has ruined us for everything.”
He is right”(Remarque 87).
Through this serious concern, there is a scene Remarque presents his own idealism of how war should be: “He proposes that a declaration of war should be a kind of popular festival with entrance-tickets and bands, like a bull fight. Then in the arena the ministers and generals of the two countries, dressed in bathing-drawers and armed with clubs, can have it out among themselves. Whoever survives, his country wins. That would be much simpler and more just than this arrangement, where the wrong people do the fighting”(Remarque 41).
So, let’s conclude this. Can war be justified? In other words, can war be right? Thomas Aquinas argued that war should be under control, and it should come to peace at last. This is what in reality, the United Nation’s goal. Remarque set up his ideal to keeping needless deaths away. Keeping the fight as small as possible.
Can long-lasting peace be possible? My opinion is, that war is necessary for that. The irony fact is that, the past evidence of war, its terribleness remaining in our history, let us know how peace is important. If we don’t fear war, we don’t love peace. We don’t fight wars for peace.
Final sentence: war is necessary. It can serve as solutions to problems. However, it needs control and purpose to it. War needs can exist righteously, under supervision of a superior society, fought for peace. We just needs rules.
works cited
Remarque, Erich Maria. All Quiet on the Western Front. Trans. A. W. Wheen. New York: Ballantine Books, 1987. Print.
Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica. Trans. Fathers of the English Dominican Province. 5 vols. Westminster: Christian Classics, 1948. Print.
United Nations. Charter of the United Nations. N.p.: n.p., 1945. Print.
Aquinas, Thomas. Summa Theologica. Trans. Fathers of the English Dominican Province. 5 vols. Westminster: Christian Classics, 1948. Print.
United Nations. Charter of the United Nations. N.p.: n.p., 1945. Print.