June 2016 Vol.4 No.6

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Sidha Z
Mabururu MN

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Review

The moral justification of war: An African case

Mr. Zedekia Sidha and Prof. Michael Ntabo Mabururu

DRongo University College

*Corresponding Author’s Email: zedekia.sidha@gmail.com

Accepted June 09, 2016

Abstract

Traditionally, war has been understood as arms conflicts between nations or armed conflicts between two groups within a nation or armed conflicts between rival groups within a nation. However, war is not only physical, but can be psychological, spiritual or otherwise. In this paper, war is conceptualized as any form of conflict between individuals, groups, nations, institutions which in most cases end being physical as in arms conflict, tribal clashes, terrorism, conflicts over limited resources such as grazing fields, water sources among others. Due to the destructive nature of wars, be they between nations or within nations and institutions as is the case with civil war and industrial conflicts, they are considered as one of the worst evils in human experience. Since the destructions created by wars are costly, not only in terms of human life but also causes severe degradation to the environment as is the case with nuclear warfare and also to the infrastructure, both economical and physical, war may be unjustifiable. This is in line with the pacificists’ view which holds that war should be avoided at all cost. However, there are those who consider war not only as justified but as a necessary evil. Between the two extremes, is a third position tenable? This paper endeavors to look at both the benefits and costs of war. The writers of this paper do not intend to go down the well-trodden road to pontificate the destructiveness of war, but shall try to look at the unifying elements of war when sentiments of patriotism are at their highest when a nation is at war. Secondly, since war is about acquisition of scarce resources, be they material or immaterial, it ensures acquisition of the same. Thirdly, war redresses injustices in society or in the world against the minority or against the down trodden. In conclusion, the writers of this paper are of the view/opinion that war though evil/destructive, may serve to redress the injustices in the world.

Keywords: Conflict, Democracy, Justice, Legitimacy, War