Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument With Historical Illustrations

In Just and Unjust Wars: A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations, Michael Walzer presents a theory about when war is and is not morally defensible. He expounds upon the legitimate means to fight in a war, holding all soldiers to the same standards. A professor of government at the time of publication, Walzer’s work sparked an increase in academic literature focused on just war theory, political philosophy, and international relations. Originally published in 1977, the book has gone through five editions and is now considered a classic in the field.

All quotations and references in this guide are from the fifth paperback edition published in 2015.

Plot Summary

Assuming a common sense of morality grounded in a belief in human rights, Walzer challenges the realist paradigm of waging war. That paradigm places no restrictions on war and bases foreign policy decisions on interests, not values. Instead, Walzer argues that war is morally evaluated in two distinct ways, namely jus ad bellum or justice of war and jus in bello or justice in war. The two are separable, as it is possible for a just war to be fought unjustly and for those on the unjust side to fight justly.