50 pages • 1 hour read
Michael WalzerA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
In Just and Unjust Wars, Michael Walzer explores the moral evaluation of war, arguing against the realist paradigm that places no restrictions on warfare, instead setting criteria for justifications of war (jus ad bellum) and conduct in war (jus in bello). He outlines legitimate cases for wartime intervention and condemns targeting noncombatants and employing terror tactics, proposing a stringent moral framework to decide the justice of war actions. The book addresses potentially distressing themes such as war crimes, terrorism, and nuclear warfare.
Michael Walzer's Just and Unjust Wars is widely praised for its profound analysis of morality in war, blending theory with historical examples. Critics commend its accessible writing and stimulating arguments, though some note the interpretations of cases can be selective. Nonetheless, the book is celebrated as essential reading in ethics and international relations.
Readers of Just and Unjust Wars by Michael Walzer are typically academics, military ethicists, and political science enthusiasts who are interested in the moral philosophy of war. Comparable to audiences of On War by Carl von Clausewitz and The Republic by Plato, they appreciate rigorous ethical debates and historical case studies.
Lexile Level
1280LPhilosophy
Politics / Government
Military / War
Society: War
Values/Ideas: Justice & Injustice
Society: Politics & Government
Philosophy