ABSTRACT
This chapter provides an analysis of how strategists can incorporate an ethical dimension into their practice while seeking to achieve their policy objectives. It outlines the just war tradition, which seeks to reconcile the need for war in international politics with ethical concerns. The subject of ethics, much like culture, holds a somewhat awkward position in the world of strategy. Since humans are moral beings, ethics must have an influence on strategy. In war, where decisions are often made in difficult, complex, and uncertain circumstances, it is problematic and limiting for a commander to tie themselves to either of the approaches. The just war tradition is based on the premise that violent conflict is likely to occur. In this tradition, war is accepted as a social fact, abhorred but tolerated as a lesser evil. Both discrimination and proportionality are concerned with preventing unnecessary suffering in war.
