Michael Walzer ve Haklı Savaş Problemi

Abstract

War has been defined in different ways from past to nowadays. There have been also several discussions about the relationship between war and human nature. Some thinkers have considered war as part of human nature, some as an armed struggle learned afterwards. The question whether it is a part of human nature or an action acquired during the historical process, needs to be justified. And these justifications comprehended the just war theory In this study, the relationship between war and human nature, the morality of war, just war theory and its history are tackled on the account of Michael Walzer, one of the eminent representatives of just war theory. Walzer’s theory of just war is presented in details, in the frame of the concepts as war crime, the rules of war, the methods of war, the dilemmas of war, aggression, the human rights, social freedom, political independence and moral responsibility. Convequently, we come the idea that a war cannot be justified even if starts with a just reason. According to Walzer, it must be predetermined who will be killed in the war, who cannot be killed and who will be left out of the war. To defend yourself cannot be a crime in case of an agression, but it doesnot also justify any cruel action of the attacked person. How can the conflicts between jus in bello and jus ad bellum be resolved? Based on this question, it is maintainded that a war cannot be out of morality, and soldiers cannot refrain from moral responsibilities in any circumstances.