Slaughterhouse 5 Presentation
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WHAT MAKES A JUST WAR?
Untitled Slide
"Just War Theory is the basis on which nations seek to legally and morally justify going to war."
Two of the most important philosophers contributing to the idea of a Just War in the Western tradition are Augustine (354-430) and Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). Augustine laid the framework for the theory, while Aquinas systematized Augustine's writings into what we recognize today as "Just War Theory." Dorbolo writes that two traditional categories are necessary to wage just war:
Jus Ad Bellum, which are the conditions required for justly going to war or the right to go to war, and Jus In Bello, the conditions required for the just conduct of war. Jus Ad Bellum states that it is acceptable to declare war if: the nation declaring war has a fair and just political system, a just cause, just intention, or as a last resort.
Two of the most important philosophers contributing to the idea of a Just War in the Western tradition are Augustine (354-430) and Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274). Augustine laid the framework for the theory, while Aquinas systematized Augustine's writings into what we recognize today as "Just War Theory." Dorbolo writes that two traditional categories are necessary to wage just war:
Jus Ad Bellum, which are the conditions required for justly going to war or the right to go to war, and Jus In Bello, the conditions required for the just conduct of war. Jus Ad Bellum states that it is acceptable to declare war if: the nation declaring war has a fair and just political system, a just cause, just intention, or as a last resort.
Untitled Slide
Jus In Bello explains the three key criteria for justifiable behavior in war.
Proportionality: acceptable use of force, or not going overboard.
Discrimination: differentiating between combatants and civilians when attacking.
Responsibility: a country is not held accountable for unexpected negative effects, so long as the actions were made with good intentions and the good of the war outweighs the bad.
Proportionality: acceptable use of force, or not going overboard.
Discrimination: differentiating between combatants and civilians when attacking.
Responsibility: a country is not held accountable for unexpected negative effects, so long as the actions were made with good intentions and the good of the war outweighs the bad.
Untitled Slide
Just War Theory relates to Slaughterhouse-Five because a major plot event is the bombing of Dresden, a small picturesque town with no military defense or stronghold. Even though the town was purely civilian, the U.S. bombed the town, essentially leveling it and killing countless of harmless civilians. This contrasts with everything the Just Theory states, as there was was no justification to attack the town, townspeople were killed, reckless and irrational use of force, and no good resulted from it.
In the story, Chicago is hydrogen bombed by China, which is another display of overuse of force as well as lack of discrimination regarding non-combatants.
In the story, Chicago is hydrogen bombed by China, which is another display of overuse of force as well as lack of discrimination regarding non-combatants.
WORKS CITED
Dorbolo, Jon. "Just War Theory." Just War Theory. Oregon State University, 2001. Web. 15 Jan. 2017. .
Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse 5. Vintage: n.p., 1993. Print.
Vonnegut, Kurt. Slaughterhouse 5. Vintage: n.p., 1993. Print.
