the "just" war

Paper 5 Prompts

1. The “Just” War: Is there such a thing as justifiable war, or are all wars unethical? In his work entitled Summa Theologica, St. Thomas Aquinas outlines conditions that must be present for war to be admissible. What is your own philosophy on the ethics of war? Are there conditions that make it okay, or is warfare never justified?

2. Non-traditional forms of war: We didn’t get to talk about this in class as much as I wanted, but countries fighting each other on the battlefield is not the only form war takes. There are many non-traditional forms of war happening all around us. For instance, we have the war on drugs, the war on terrorism, racial unrest, or perhaps even sports! For example, have you watched NFL football? You could argue that the game engages the players in a style of warfare by implementing strategy, training, and outright violence. Try to come up with a non-traditional war that you see happening today, and take a clear stance on what you think people should be doing about it.

3. Full Metal Jacket or 300: Choose one of the two films to discuss. How does the film you chose portray war? Does it depict war in a particularly honorable light? Or is it a dishonorable portrayal of warfare? In this case, you’ll need to cite specifics examples (quotes, film technique, specific scenes, etc.).

4. Your own topic: As always, you’re free to come up with your own topic should you be particularly interested in exploring something else you want to talk about. Please email me first if you’re going to choose this prompt, and let me know what you’d like to write about.