"Moral Constraints on War" gives a principle-by-principle presentation of the transcultural roots of the ethics of war in an age defined by the increasingly international nature of military intervention. Parts 1 and 2 trace the evolution of Just War theory, analyzing the principles of "jus ad bellum" and "jus in bello": the principles that determine under what conditions a war may be started and then conducted. Each chapter provides the historical background of the principle under discussion, an explanation of the principle and numerous historical examples of its application. In part 3, case studies apply the theories discussed to the Gulf War, the 1994 Russian intervention in Chechnya, NATO's war in Kosovo, and the military intervention in Afghanistan in the wake of the World Trade Centre attacks, and provides a concise discussion of the ethics of humanitarian intervention. The work is framed by introductory and concluding chapters that situate Just War Theory among contending approaches to the ethics of war such as militarism, pacifism, and realism.
Bringing together an international coterie of philosophers and political scientists this guide offers students of miltiary ethics, international law, and social conflict rich, up-to-the-minute insight into the pluralistic character of Just War Theory.