New Just Wars, New Holy Wars

• Published in: International review of sociology Vol. 19; no. 3; pp. 549 - 558
• Main Author: Delsol, Chantal
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: French
• Published: 01.01.2009
• Subjects: 20th century; Certainty; Decisions; Ethics; Holy war; Human rights; International Law; Iraq; Just war; Justice; Kosovo; Religion; Totalitarianism; Twentieth Century; U.S.A; War
• ISSN: 0390-6701
• DOI: 10.1080/03906700903239329

Holy wars and just wars are two distinct categories regarding their justification. The first claims that God himself commands and supports war or, at least, that God is the ultimate legitimization. On this side of the world, two types of holy war have existed: the crusade and the jihad. By contrast, the just war is justified by the need to deploy an awareness of uncertainty, because that war intends to be after all a prudent decision. The challenge is to class brutality under a moral action and to place war under both the criteria of legitimacy and a less inhumane violence. Totalitarianism of the twentieth century has continued holy war, even if religions have been replaced by justificatory ideologies. Today, the wars waged on behalf of human rights and under international law, such as the war in Kosovo, may be recognized as new 'holy wars' conducted on behalf of an unwavering certainty: they are of a Manichean type; while a 'just war' in the contemporary context is one that belongs to a particular decision, such as the American war in Iraq, and thus submitted to the uncertainty and debate, and assuming the consequences of the decision. Adapted from the source document.