Description
Book SynopsisWar by Agreement presents a new theory on the ethics of war. Benbaji and Statman argue that wars can be morally justified at both the ad bellum level (the political decision to go to war) and the in bello level (the actual conduct of the military) by accepting a contractarian account of the rules governing war. According to this account, the rules of war are anchored in a mutually beneficial and fair agreement between the relevant playersthe purpose of which is to promote peace and to reduce the horrors of war. This account relies on the long social contract tradition and illustrates its fruitfulness in understanding and developing the morality and the law of war.
Trade ReviewWar by Agreement is the only serious book-length account and defence of contractarian just war theory. It has appeared at a critical inflection point in the development of just war theory... Benbaji and Statman provide an iluminating counterpoint to revisionism, which keeps the laws of war firmly in view. * Janina Dill and Cecile Fabre, Law and Philosophy *
Valuable contribution to the already well-saturated literature on the morality of war — an achievement in and of itself. * Lior Erez, Springer Nature Switzerland *
At last: a brilliant contribution to the literature of just war by two philosophers who actually know something about war. * Michael Walzer, Princeton Institute for Advanced Study *
Table of ContentsIntroduction: The Moral Standing of the War Agreement 1: The Challenge 2: Foundations of a Non-Individualist Morality 3: A Contractarian Account of the Crime of Aggression 4: The Aims of Just Wars and Jus Ex Bello 5: Contractarianism and the Moral Equality of Combatants 6: Contractarianism and the Moral Equality of Civilians 7: When the Agreement Collapses 8: Concluding Remarks
