Paper Title: Does Just War Theory go with Kantian Ethics: A Critical Study
Author:
Abstract:
An integral part of human community, since appearance human being is going through warfare. At first it was between human being and non-human being. The purpose was struggle for existence. When human being acquired the quality to form a group to live peaceful and resourceful life war become to have control on the resource for the sustenance of life. At that time war was purely regional and purpose was to dominate others. Gradually the development of human society came to play its role and simultaneously the process, technique; weapons are evolved to conquer others easily. The main purpose was is to bring maximum loss of the opponent with minimum loss of the concern group. The same purpose is being followed in modern world also. The war which is continuing near about four years between Russia and Ukraine, the war fought between India and Pakistan in the name of ‘Sindur’ is prominent examples of evolved, highly technical war. The purpose of these wars is to bring great loss to the opponent. The main causes of war are complex and depend on socio-political and geopolitical situations. But the main aim remains unaltered. To show the power of a state and dominate the opponent the way is killing military personnel as well as common people. This point is very much important in connection with Kantian Ethics. We all know that Immanuel Kant is a rule-deontologist and he framed his ethical principle placing human beings on the top. Warfare is a man made act so healing the destructive effects of it through performing our ethical duties is only attributable to human beings only. So, every human being has the duty to follow ethical norms. In this paper we will try to establish the relation between Kantian notion of ethics and good will with the act of warfare. Immanuel Kant thinks that ‘will’ is never being determined by law of nature or by law of reason. So, according to Kant will is free. This paper will examine how free will of a conscious human being can make a step towards peace and establishing morality in search of power and position through the act of justified warfare in every aspect of it.
Keywords:Warfare, ethics, conventional war, modern war, just war theory, value, good will
DOI Link – https://doi.org/10.63431/AIJITR/2.III.2025.89-93
Review By – Dr. Amrita Dutta and Amit Adhikari