The Legacy of Jus Contra Bellum: Echoes of Pacifism in Contemporary Just War Thought

摘要

This article explores the issue of jus contra helium as a particular development within just war thought. At its heart, the jus contra helium amounts to an attempt to apply the principles of jus in hello (discrimination and proportionality) in order to negate the jus ad helium. This approach was rather prevalent throughout the Cold War era, as concerns over the prospective use of nuclear weapons facilitated an increasingly sceptical attitude towards the use of force. Whereas the vast majority of just war thinkers have tended to overlook this phenomenon, James Turner Johnson has adeptly recognised the perils of jus contra helium, and its rather disastrous implications for just war thought. In this respect, Johnson's analysis of this issue constitutes one of his most significant contributions to the tradition. However, as this article will suggest, his assessment of this approach, and consequent efforts to counter it, do not go far enough. As will he noted, the roots of the jus contra helium can he traced to the prevailing structure of just war thought - a structure which has been consistently championed by virtually every just war thinker.