Most scholars agree that, to be considered just, a war must meet several jus ad bellum requirements. The Dutch jurist Hugo Grotius (1583–1645) maintained in De Jure Belli ac Pacis (1625 On the Law of War and Peace) that war is justifiable only if a country faces imminent danger and the use of force is both necessary and proportionate to the threat. Secular theorists include the Roman jurist and philosopher Marcus Tullius Cicero (106–43 bc), who argued that legitimate wars must be openly declared, have a just cause, and be conducted justly.
Thomas Aquinas (1224/25–1274), whose Summa Theologiae (1265/66–1273) outlined the justifications for war and discussed the acts it is permissible to commit in wartime. Rationales for war based on Christian ethics can be found in the writings of theologians, such as St.
JUST CAUSE DEFINITION CODE
The canonists drew together existing Christian traditions on the justification of war and on noncombatant immunity, ideas later developed by various Christian theologians and the chivalric code contributed further to the idea of noncombatant immunity and also added restraints on the means of war. Rooted in Classical Roman and biblical Hebraic culture and containing both religious and secular elements, just war first coalesced as a coherent body of thought and practice during the Middle Ages as a by-product of canon law and theology, the ideas of jus naturale (Latin: “natural law”) and jus gentium (Latin: “law of nations”) from Roman law, established practices of statecraft, and the chivalric code. Just war is a Western concept and should be distinguished from the Islamic concept of jihad (Arabic: “striving”), or holy war, which in Muslim legal theory is the only type of just war. Just war, notion that the resort to armed force ( jus ad bellum) is justified under certain conditions also, the notion that the use of such force ( jus in bello) should be limited in certain ways. Britannica Explains In these videos, Britannica explains a variety of topics and answers frequently asked questions.This Time in History In these videos, find out what happened this month (or any month!) in history.#WTFact Videos In #WTFact Britannica shares some of the most bizarre facts we can find.Demystified Videos In Demystified, Britannica has all the answers to your burning questions.Britannica Classics Check out these retro videos from Encyclopedia Britannica’s archives.