Partially Settled Vagabonds

Augustine Gets Ethical...

The Economist has an article out in their most recent edition called "The Ethics of War." Basing their investigation into the current Israeli/Lebanese (or, Hizbollah) conflict on Augustine's Just War doctrine, they ask the question of whether or not Israel's response has been proportionate. Unfortunately, the article doesn't cover all of the bases of the Just War doctrine, though it does cover the two main categories into which Just War thinking is divided: jus ad bello ("rightness/lawfulness in going to war") and jus in bello ("rightness/lawfulness in warfare"). However, proportionality is the only criterion in both categories, a fact the author seems to neglect. Moreover, the question of whether or not there is reasonable cause in going to war is overlooked. In this case, Ehud Olmert decided that Hizbollah's kidnapping of soldiers (only the most recent in a string of cowardly cross-border attacks) was the final straw. Finally, what the article does not ask with regard to proportionality is whether or not the loss of civilian life is warranted when the enemy (and aggressor) is hiding in homes and civilian builidings (i.e., hospitals) and using civilian vehicles as military transport (ambulances as recently as yesterday) as a means of guerilla warfare.

Anyway, it's nice to see Augustine get some press every now and then. Click on the picture to read.

posted by John and Mag @ 10:09 AM