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Proportionality, just war theory and weapons innovation.

¹The University of Sydney, Broadway, NSW, 2006, Australia. jjohn@tpg.com.au

Science and Engineering Ethics

|September 20, 2008

Summary

The proportionality principle in Just War Theory is inapplicable prospectively. Weapons innovation introduces unpredictable costs, making pre-war cost-benefit analysis for just wars impossible.

Area of Science:

Ethics
Political Science
Military History

Background:

Just War Theory posits that wars must be proportional responses to aggression.
Proportionality requires balancing the costs and benefits of war.
Challenges include defining, measuring, and scoping these costs and benefits.

Purpose of the Study:

To examine the applicability of the proportionality principle in Just War Theory.
To investigate the impact of weapons innovation on prospective war assessment.
To challenge the feasibility of pre-war proportionality calculations.

Main Methods:

Philosophical analysis of the proportionality principle.
Historical case studies of weapons innovation (atomic bomb, AK-47, catapult).

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Critical evaluation of arguments for and against prospective proportionality.

Main Results:

Weapons innovation inherently introduces unpredictable costs.
These costs cannot be determined in advance of engaging in conflict.
The proportionality principle faces insurmountable challenges when applied prospectively.

Conclusions:

The proportionality principle is not prospectively applicable due to inherent uncertainties in war costs.
Just War Theory requires re-evaluation of prospective assessment methods.
The unpredictable nature of military technology undermines pre-war ethical calculations.