Bastards, brothers, and unjust warriors: Enmity and ethics in Just War Cinema

Unjust War

I The Traditional Theory of the Just War The traditional theory of the just war comprises two sets of principles, one governing the resort to war (jus ad bellum) and the other governing the conduct of war (jus in bello). One of the central pillars of the traditional theory is that the two set of principles are, in Michael Walzer's words, " logically independent. It is perfectly possible for a j...

Laments of warriors’ wives Re-gendering the war in Vietnamese cinema

This article considers the representation of war in Vietnamese cinema by engaging in a gendered exploration of the legacy of war. By taking gender as an analytical category and cinema as a form of representation, the article examines the largely unexplored issue of the impact of war on female identity in Vietnam. Through the discussion of two recent Vietnamese films, – Dò•i cát (Sandy Lives) an...

Just and unjust: E. E. Just (1883-1941).

THIS year marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of Ernest Everett Just. He was one of the greatest biologists of the early 20th century, but being AfroAmerican, he never had a position that permitted full development of his research talent. The latter part of his life was a time of great frustration, for both professional and social reasons. Despite insufficient time for research and poor fi...

Merit Pay: Just or Unjust Desserts

Is Just War Theory Obsolete?

Just War Theory can be found in almost all major cultures. But since war was a business that could not be easily stopped, some aimed to constrain it. In its classic form, Just War Theory has been around for several centuries—ever since nationhood in Europe replaced provincial governments. Having made some introductory considerations, I will ask: should Just War Theory be left as it is, changed,...