Preview

Can War Be Justified?

Good Essays
Open Document
Open Document
771 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Can War Be Justified?
A man once said, “I am not only a pacifist but a militant pacifist. I am willing to fight for peace. Nothing will end war unless the people themselves refuse to go to war.” That man is Albert Einstein. He is a well-known physicist who developed the general theory of relativity. He was one of the people who thought that war could not be justified. He thought that unless the people refuse to go to war, it will keep on going - never stopping. I also think that war cannot be justified. To strengthen my opinion, I have three strong reasons. These reasons are; many people become victims during the war, the government should not start war just for religious reasons, and the economy goes bad for targeted countries.
When you see the number of how many people have died in war on the news, not many people think about it too deeply and that is because it is just numbers and the fact that you weren’t there. But think, if you had been there, seeing one person die would affect you deeply, and you would have a strong feeling and a visual picture that you can never forget. Many of those people that died did not want to die. They were the victims of war. They had no place to hide or run away from, just waiting for the enemy to come and attack. For example, in World War 2, the total people that died during the war were 73,000,000 people and about 50,000,000 were civilians. It is a very depressing fact that more than half were civilians who have done nothing wrong. Or even think what if the person that died was your parents or your sister or brother? Imagine all of your relatives have died in the war. How would you feel?
War can start for religious reasons but I strongly think that the government should not start a war for religious reasons. For example, for many years, Palestine and Israel have been at war. That is all because of two different religions; Islam and Judaism. Religion is something that you should be proud of having, and it is not something that can be used to fight

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    War brings death and destruction, merciless slaughter and butchery, disease and starvation, poverty and ruin in its wake. Although war may not always be the first answer or the most beneficial, it is an inescapable evil because war has brought the world peace and prosperity while banding people together to fight for a cause. It leads to national growth and solves domestic problems between countries; Injustice and tyranny can be quelled as the aftereffect of war. On the contrary, war includes loss of human life, spreads of diseases, and induces a feeling of anxiety and dismay among communities. The brutal sacrifices that innocent people undergo may not be worth the outcome.…

    • 510 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    All Quiet Final

    • 702 Words
    • 1 Page

    indulge in it. War causes pain for the soldiers in the war and the families who have a loved one…

    • 702 Words
    • 1 Page
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Have you ever suffered from such loss that could have possibly ruined you emotionally, physically and mentally? Well, you’re not the only one. JC also suffers from a mental sadness that has to be cured by finding himself and being able to grip the feelings in his heart to tell the story of his best friend “The King” who had died tragically falling off his father's under-constructed skyscraper, unknown if his death was an accident or a suicide he learns that the bond they had may have been more than friendship. Which makes his summer so much harder. He’s confused.…

    • 798 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    War should never be used unless it is the last option available, and only if peace will really come as a result of the mass suffering and disaster. As General Dwight Eisenhower said in a message to his invasion troops, "You will bring about the destruction of the German war machine, the elimination of Nazi tyranny over the oppressed peoples of Europe, and security to yourselves in a free world" (39). The best way to solve a conflict is not to resort to violence, but rather to words. If war is inevitable, then those who had nothing to do with it should be left alone and not involved, such as innocent…

    • 511 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    On May 11, 1846, James K. Polk delivered his address to Congress requesting a Declaration of War on the Republic of Mexico. President Polk justified his war by saying in his message that Mexico had attacked American troops and invaded the United States. He also brought up the issue that initially brought about all of the tensions between the U.S. and Mexico, which was the Mexican government had not been cooperative in negotiations over the Texas boundary. Polk, as well as most of the rest of Americans at this time, saw the declaration of war as a legitimate and natural expression of America’s Manifest Destiny, which will be later explained. The question remains, however, was Polk’s declaration of war on Mexico really necessary, let alone justified? Was peace what he really wanted, or was his true intention just to acquire more land and expand the U.S. westward as fast as he could?…

    • 2162 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    The novel The Awakening, of which the writer is Kate Chopin, drags its reader down into a poor mindset. The reader is demonstrated how ethics are barely utilized as a part of regular law by Mrs. Pontellier. The reader is tossed from one occurrence of defiance in a fight with Mr. Pontellier into her disregard for her kids and after that is hurled into Mrs. Pontellier's over the top nature as an adulteress.…

    • 213 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    The Just War Theory

    • 1946 Words
    • 8 Pages

    These victims of acts of aggression provide evidence for the importance of a clear understanding of just cause for battle. The ethics of war are deep arguments that originate at the dawn of humanity. At our core, all humans share a desire to live, thrive, and above all maintain a certain sense of morality. To determine the answers to the questions of what justifies war, who justifies it, and why we as human beings feel the need to fight, one must understand the purpose of war, and with that, the conviction of the human soul. At the end of the day, there is no victory in killing, no matter the success that it may lead to. War, in my opinion, must be fought for peace and peace alone. We are one species, who share many ideas, beliefs, cultures, and systems of thought. In order to progress and reach our full potential as humans, we must see that we will never fully understand the ethics behind war, because there is no “right” answer. What we can do, however, is justify how we act during war by demonstrating a clear comprehension of our actions and accepting the repercussions…

    • 1946 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Good Essays

    World War 2 or the second Great War occurred from Sep 1, 1939 – Sep 2, 1945.At the beginning of the war The United States was a neutral party until officially joining the Allied Powers in 1941. The United States started off the war by producing and selling arms, food, and other supplies that would aid the European nations involved. This started off the economic boom needed in to come out of the biggest depression America has had. At the beginning of the war America was in a foothold it couldn’t come out of, The Great Depression. The Great Depression lasted from 1929 until the start of the war in 1939. For many this period of economic downfall was necessary to put America back on track to becoming a large industrialized producer. The prewar…

    • 827 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    War, Just or Not?

    • 2986 Words
    • 12 Pages

    I believe two moral judgments can be made about the present "war": The September 11 attack constitutes a crime against humanity and cannot be justified, and the bombing of Afghanistan is also a crime, which cannot be justified.…

    • 2986 Words
    • 12 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Best Essays

    Albert Einstein once said, “You cannot simultaneously prevent and prepare for war.” Although Einstein is considered one of the greatest thinkers in history, he was surely not an ethicist. Regardless, his statement of pacifism, should not be taken lightly. In passages such as “Pacifism” by Douglas P Lackey pacifism and it many forms are defined and justified as valid moral theories . Initially pacifists such as Albert Schewerzer considered it wrong to kill and this was their central concept , over time the ideas by which pacifists are defined became more specific in some cases, while more broad in others. Famous visionaries such as Mahatma Ghandi and Leo Tolstoy have gone down in history for their peaceful and somewhat passive moral theories. In their theory these universal pacifists specified that it was immoral to take place in violence in cases of personal affairs or between nation-states. “Private pacifists” believe that personal violence is morally wrong but political violence is right in certain cases. These pacifists believe that it is sometimes permissible for nations to go to war. Finally the last type of pacifists think personal violence is sometimes wrong but war is always morally wrong , this type of pacifist is called an anti-war pacifist. In this essay I will be comparing and contrasting “Pacifism” by Douglas P Lackey and the listed forms of pacifism with just war theory arguments addressed in passages such as Michael Walzer’s “Terrorism: A Critique of Excuses”.…

    • 1393 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Best Essays
  • Powerful Essays

    “War, what is it good for”? The lyrics to the 60’s pop song, provokes the question that Just War proponents and Pacifists have wrestled with throughout history, reaching opposite conclusions. Those in favor of Just War theory, say war is only good insofar as it is fought for the right reasons and brings about the right end. Whereas, Pacifists reject war completely, preferring peaceful means to resolve conflict. But which one is morally and ethically right? Which one should be adopted and practiced by the Nations of this World? Upon examining the logic and philosophical implications of each ethical stance, one is able to sympathize with them both, seeing their values and virtue.…

    • 1379 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Powerful Essays
  • Better Essays

    Is War Ethical

    • 1871 Words
    • 8 Pages

    The insurgents’ war is an unethical war. They use tactics of manipulation, deceit and media propaganda to brainwash vulnerable and desperate individuals into becoming suicide bombers. Analyzing these three tactics through events in The Sirens of Baghdad” by Yasmina Khadra with “Eros and Thanatos” by Chris Hedges and “Just War Theory” by Alexander Moseley and then comparing these events to real life stories such as “Abandoned in Iraq; We did our job as interpreters; why has the U.S reneged on its promise?” by Tariq and "Iraq 's Young Blood" by Christian Caryl provide insight.…

    • 1871 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Better Essays
  • Good Essays

    Human beings have been at battle with one another since prehistoric times, and people have been discussing the rights and wrongs of it for almost just as long. The purpose of war ethics is to help decide what is right or wrong, both for individuals and countries, and to contribute to debates on public policy, and ultimately to government and individual action. War ethics also lead to the creation of formal codes of war, the drafting and implementation of rules of engagement for soldiers, and in the punishment of soldiers and others for war crimes. War ethics are a highly controversial topic and many people’s opinions differ on the subject. For instance, there are individuals who believe that war is bad because it involves deliberately killing or injuring people. These people also believe that war is a fundamental wrong and an abuse of the victims’ human rights. People opposing the war may even extend further with the idea or theory of pacifism. There are several different forms of pacifism, but they all include the idea that war and violence are unjustifiable, and that conflicts should be settled in a peaceful manner. Many people believe that pacifism is more than opposition to war. They argue that it must include action to promote justice and human rights. This is where those who believe that war isn’t particularly good nor bad but believe it may be necessary and do not see it as wrong come into the picture. The people for war believe that war should be fought if there is a just cause, has been lawfully declared, the intention behind the war is good or pure, other plans of resolving issues had been tried first, there is a reasonable chance of success, and the means must be in proportion to the end that the war seeks to achieve. Many individuals for war argue that it is important to acknowledge the difference between the moralities of pacifism as it applies to an individual, and the application…

    • 499 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Why Warfare Is Wrong

    • 764 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Humanity always resolved their conflicts with one another with various weapons. The only difference is as over time, so do the methods of combat. Warfare is wrongfully defined as "the process of military struggle between two nations or groups of nations; war." (Warfare). This untrue definition induced many to wrongfully assume that only one type of warfare exists; Leading to believe it only happens on the battlefield during a war between countries. The actual definition of "warfare" doesn't imply military action or combat limited to only soldiers, yet it's defined as a direct act of aggression that ends with individuals emotionally or physically scarred.…

    • 764 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Better Essays

    Ethics of War

    • 2322 Words
    • 10 Pages

    Currently, the world has seen a quick increase in wars across the world. What was meant to be the first century not scarred by war, quickly turned into a bloodbath in the wake of terrorist attacks in the United States and in Europe. In response to these attacks on civilian populations the United States engaged in two pre-emptive wars on those who harboured terrorists. These wars have now been ongoing for seven years and recently the number of American and other Coalition soldiers fallen on the battlefield has risen to over 4000, and the number of Iraqi civilian casualties has risen to 1,421,933. (Griffis). Recent issues that surround and greatly manipulate the world we live in makes us ask the question. How can these deaths and wars be necessary? The answer to this question is that, even though war is an indisputable evil, there are worse things on this planet than death, and in times of great adversity man has the moral responsibility to use force in the hope of greater good for humanity. The Ethics of War starts by assuming that war is…

    • 2322 Words
    • 10 Pages
    Better Essays

Related Topics