ABSTRACT
This chapter traces briefly the essential elements and philosophical bedrock of just-war theory, and shows how it has changed over the last century—and especially over the past three decades. It argues that recent changes reflect contingent judgments on the nature of modern war that do not match the character of contemporary armed conflicts. The chapter suggests that, in its original form, just-war theory remains relevant to the challenges faced by statesmen today. It illustrates the relevance by identifying several contemporary policy implications that follow from understanding the just-war idea as aimed against injustice rather than against the use of force itself. The just-war tradition addresses two issues regarding the morality of the use of force: when it is right to resort to armed force, and what it is right to do when using force—jus ad bellum and jus in bello, respectively.
