Just War Revisited

Boisi event

General James Dubik,听U.S. Army, ret., Georgetown University听

Rev. J. Bryan Hehir, Harvard University

Ambassador James F. Jeffrey, The Washington Institute for Near East Policy

顿补迟别:听October 20, 2016

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Abstract

Is just war theory relevant in a twenty-first century world? Our three panelists bring decades of intellectual thought and practical experience to the discussion. Together the panel will reflect on the utility of the just war paradigm in an era of conflict dominated by threats and weapons that challenge traditional just war categories. We will hear whether and how just war principles are integrated into discussions at the highest levels of government decision-making, what influence popular understandings (and misunderstandings) of these concepts have in the political realm, and whether alternative paradigms such as 鈥渏ust peace鈥 are gaining traction in conversations outside the religious context.

Speaker Bios

General James M. Dubik, U.S. Army (Ret.)

General James M. Dubik, U.S. Army (Ret.)听is professor of the practice and Director of Teaching at the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University鈥檚 Walsh School of Foreign Service. During his 37 years of active duty in the United States Army as an infantryman, paratrooper and Ranger, he commanded U.S. and multi-national troops in Haiti, Bosnia, and Iraq (during the Surge of 2007-2008), among other locations, retiring at the rank of lieutenant general.听

Gen. Dubik is also currently a Senior Fellow at the Institute for the Study of War, as well as the Institute of Land Warfare, and is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations. In 2012 and 2013 he held the Omar Bradley Chair of Strategic Leadership, a position co-sponsored by Dickinson College, Penn State Law School, and the U.S. Army War College. Gen. Dubik holds a Ph.D. in philosophy from Johns Hopkins University, and is the co-author of the book听Envisioning Future Warfare. His new book is titled听Just War Reconsidered: Strategy, Ethics, and Theory.

Rev. J. Bryan Hehir

Rev. J. Bryan Hehir听is the Parker Gilbert Montgomery Professor of the Practice of Religion and Public Life at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government. A Catholic diocesan priest, he is also the Secretary for Health Care and Social Services in the Archdiocese of md传媒国产剧, and a close advisor to Cardinal Sean O鈥橫alley. Fr. Hehir鈥檚 research and writing focus on ethics and foreign policy, and the role of religion in world politics and in American society. He is one of the world鈥檚 foremost experts on just war theory, and has a long history of engagement with policymakers in the U.S. government. Previously he served on the staff of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, where he was a lead author of the influential 1983 pastoral letter on war and peace entitled听The Challenge of Peace. He has also served as President of Catholic Charities USA, and on the faculties of Georgetown University and Harvard Divinity School, the latter of which he led for three years as chair of the executive committee. Hehir holds A.B. and M.Div. degrees from St. John鈥檚 Seminary, and a Th.D. from Harvard Divinity School.听He is the 2016 recipient of the听.听

Ambassador James F. Jeffrey

Ambassador James F. Jeffrey听is the Philip Solondz distinguished fellow at The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, where he focuses on U.S. diplomatic and military strategy in the Middle East, with emphasis on Turkey, Iraq, and Iran. One of the nation's most senior diplomats, Ambassador Jeffrey has held a series of highly sensitive posts in Washington D.C. and abroad. In addition to his service as U.S. ambassador in Ankara and Baghdad, he served as assistant to the president and deputy national security advisor in the George W. Bush administration, with a special focus on Iran. He previously served as principal deputy assistant secretary for the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs at the Department of State, where his responsibilities included leading the Iran policy team and coordinating public diplomacy. Earlier appointments included service as senior advisor on Iraq to the secretary of state; charg茅 d'affaires and deputy chief of mission in Baghdad; deputy chief of mission in Ankara; and ambassador to Albania.听

A former infantry officer in the U.S. army, Ambassador Jeffrey served in Germany and Vietnam from 1969 to 1976. He is a graduate of Northeastern University (B.A.) and md传媒国产剧 University (M.A.).

Event Photos

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General James Dubik (center left), Ambassador James F. Jeffrey (center right), and Rev. J. Bryan Hehir discussed the nuances, successes, and limitations of just war theory in the 21st century at a Boisi Center panel discussion on October 20. Boisi Center interim director, Erik Owens (far left) introduced the panelists.

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Boisi event
Boisi event

Photos by MTS Photography

Event Recap

On October 20, 2016, General James Dubik, U.S. Army, ret., Reverend J. Bryan Hehir, and Ambassador James F. Jeffrey discussed applications of just war theory in the modern age. The panel discussion focused on Dubik鈥檚 book, Just War Reconsidered (University of Kentucky, 2016), which reassesses just war theory and highlights the ethical accountability of political and military leaders not only in initiating wars, but also in strategizing and executing plans in war.

Dubik laid out three elements of听just war: ethical cause for entering war, the principle of proportionality (including protection of the innocent during war), and reflection in the aftermath of war. Dubik argued that the traditional interpretation of just war theory tends to alienate military and political leaders from their moral roles. In this model, leaders are responsible for making an ethically informed choice about whether or not to initiate war, but troops bear the responsibility of fighting war ethically. Dubik rejected this approach, claiming that traditional just war theory does not address the moral consequences of war-waging. He emphasized that war is more than just fighting; it involves strategy and decision-making that affects soldiers, civilians, communities, governments, and political relationships before, during, and after war. Dubik also questioned the tendency of theorists to draw a sharp line between military and political leaders. To make just war possible in practice, the military and political perspectives must exist in dialogue, recognizing the moral agency and responsibility of all individuals involved.

Jeffrey praised Dubik for his work, but warned that Just War Reconsidered is both 鈥渨onderful鈥 and yet 鈥渄angerous.鈥 Jeffrey, who served in the State Department during George W. Bush鈥檚 administration, agreed听that it is wrong to thoughtlessly听waste the lives of citizens, but did听not agree that an extensive process of moral decision-making is necessarily the answer. Instead, Jeffrey argued听a staunch commitment to moral decision-making can delay action and thereby risk lives in areas of conflict. These practical consequences are time-sensitive and often not worth the risk. Jeffrey concluded that, while it may be helpful to recognize the moral agency of all parties involved in war, in practice it is sometimes more just to act quickly.

Hehir spoke about the religiously based origins of just war theory, explaining that the secular world has adopted the theory and applied it to international law. In the modern world, just war theory has become 鈥減ublic property.鈥 Hehir drew attention to the modern tendency to settle moral dilemmas in war based on precedent. For example, following what was once 鈥渢he great question of the bombings in World War II,鈥 cities were established as fair targets in subsequent wars. Hehir argued that, regardless of the changing applications of just war theory, it should be rendered important as an imperative for moral reflection. Without a theory of just war, it is easy to slip into an amoral conception of war and conflict. 鈥淚n an imperfect world, a structured theory that imposes restraints is absolutely necessary.鈥

After the panelists spoke, the audience raised questions regarding the legitimacy of a government听entity declaring an action 鈥渏ust,鈥 the accountability of the U.S. government to the international community, and the specific issue of drone warfare.听A lively discussion demonstrated听the relevance of just war theory and its usefulness in engaging moral questions of war and conflict.

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By the Panelists

Dubik, James M.听听Just War Reconsidered: Strategy, Ethics, and Theory. University Press of Kentucky, 2016.

Dubik, James M.听 鈥淲e Are Our Own Obstacle in Fighting Al Qaeda.鈥澨Army.听March 12, 2015.听

Hehir, J. Bryan. 鈥淭he Moral Measurement of War: A Tradition of Change and Continuity.鈥澨The Sacred and the Sovereign: Religion and International Politics,听edited by John D. Carlson and Erik C. Owens. Georgetown University Press: 2003.

Hehir, J. Bryan. 鈥淭he Moral Dimension of the Use of Force.鈥澨The Use of Force After the Cold War,听edited by H.W. Brands. Texas A&M University Press: 2000.

Hehir, J. Bryan. 鈥淢ilitary Intervention and National Sovereignty: Recasting the Relationship.鈥澨Hard Choices: Moral Dilemmas in Humanitarian Intervention, edited by Jonathan Moore. Rowman & Littlefield: 1998.

Jeffrey, James F. 鈥淟eave Root Causes Aside鈥擠estroy the ISIS 鈥楽tate.鈥欌澨The Atlantic.听April 29, 2016.听

Jeffrey, James F. 鈥淭he Military Campaign Against the Islamic State: An Assessment.鈥澨PolicyWatch. September 14, 2016.听

Jeffrey, James F. 鈥淪yrian 'Plan B' Options Beyond Immediate Military Confrontation.鈥澨PolicyWatch.听October 6, 2016.听

Notable Articles and Books

Biggar, Nigel.听In Defence of War.听Oxford University Press: 2013.

Carlson, John D. 鈥淛ust War as Punishment.鈥澨First Things. October 1, 2013.听

Coll, Steve. 鈥淭he Unblinking Stare: The drone war in Pakistan.鈥澨The New Yorker. November 24, 2014.听

De Waal, Alex. 鈥淗ow to End Mass Atrocities.鈥澨The New York Times.听March 9, 2012.听

Elshtain, Jean Bethke.听Just War Against Terror: The Burden Of American Power In A Violent World.听Basic Books: 2004.

Evans, Gareth. 鈥淚n Defense of 鈥楻2P.鈥欌澨The New York Times.听March 11, 2012.听

Gross, Michael L.听Moral Dilemmas of Modern War: Torture, Assassination, and Blackmail in an Age of Asymmetric Conflict. Cambridge University Press: 2010.

Mamdani, Mahmood. 鈥淭he New Humanitarian Order.鈥澨The Nation.听September 10, 2008.听

Mamdani, Mahmood.听Saviors and Survivors: Darfur, Politics, and the War on Terror.听Pantheon: 2009.

McMahon, Jeff. 鈥淩ethinking the 鈥楯ust War.鈥欌澨The New York Times.听November 11, 2012.听

Obama, Barack. 鈥淩emarks by the President at the Acceptance of the Nobel Peace Prize.鈥 December 10, 2009.听

What We鈥檙e Fighting For: A Letter From America.听Institute for American Values. 2002.听听

Winright, Tobias. 鈥淭he Vatican on Military Intervention in Defense of the Innocent.鈥澨Catholic Moral Theology.听August 13, 2014.听

On Just Peace Theory

Cahill, Lisa. 鈥淎 Church for Peace?: Why Just War Theory Isn鈥檛 Enough.鈥澨Commonweal.听July 11, 2016.听听

Thistlethwaite, Susan B.听Women鈥檚 Bodies as Battlefield: Christian Theology and the Global War on Women.听Palgrave Macmillan: 2015.

Thistlethwaite, Susan B. 鈥淕od Did Not Create Robots: A look at the immoral present and future of drone warfare.鈥澨The Washington Post.听February 3, 2015.听

In the News

Syria is a geopolitical hotspot and humanitarian crisis. The New York Times'听听helps explain the central issues of the conflict and their implications for听US military involvement.

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