The Critical Examination of the Ethics of War

Student: Aderonke Ayomide Onifade (Project, 2025)
Department of Philosophy
University of Abuja, Abuja, Fct

Abstract

This study The Critical Examination of The Ethics of War, critically explores the ethics of war, assessing its moral complexities, philosophical underpinnings, and the justification for armed conflict within ethical frameworks. Grounded in just war theory, deontological ethics, and utilitarian perspectives, the research interrogatesbtraditional and contemporary arguments about war's permissibility, its moral limits, and the responsibilities of individuals and states. The Findings encompasses both the criteria for engaging in war (jus ad bellum) and the ethical considerations governing conduct within war (jus in bello). By analyzing key historical and modern conflicts, this work seeks to highlight ethical contradictions and dilemmas faced by combatants and non-combatants alike, scrutinizing the intersection of war with human rights, civilian protection, and proportionality in force. The study ultimately aims to provide a nuanced evaluation of whether war, despite its costs and destructiveness, can ever be ethically justified, and if so, under what conditions.This critical examination contributes to the broader discourse on global peace, conflict resolution, and the evolving moral obligations of nation-states in an era of complex geopolitical tensions.

Keywords
ethics war morality philosophy just war theory humanitarian law.
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