This work will argue that participating in war using lethal force can be justified to protect loved ones against unjust aggression even if the actual reason for war is not morally permissible. As individuals, people would refuse to idly stand by while witnessing the loved ones face unjust cruelty. A violent action cannot be questioned from the position of morality however from the standpoint of morality, choosing violence to defend loved ones cannot be argued against. Therefore, it can be justified as people have a morale rationale for undertaking military action as we consider our actions defensive and aimed at protecting the innocent.
To maintain the provided point of view, several claims were put forward, so, according to one of them, is the fact that participating in war to protect loved ones is an inevitable self-help system. This concept of looking at the problem was developed in the field of realism, where a sober and balanced attitude to a particular problem is formed and encouraged for all phenomena (Morkevičius, 2018). That is why it is a statement that supports the point of view under study. An example of adherence to this action may be going to war to protect their relatives.
However, this work focuses on participating in war to protect loved ones is an inevitable self-help system. This statement is closely related to the morality of an action and how people cope with mental problems. In addition, research showed that the war is “unpleasant, and has features of warfare such as problematic forms of violence, long-term psychological impacts, or sociopolitical blowbacks” (Pötzsch, 2017, p. 156). Additionally, undertaking military action to protect loved ones is a contribution towards ending violation of human rights. Thus, one of the postulates of human law is observed: giving a person an independent choice, that is, without limiting it (Sriram et al., 2017). Moreover, this opinion contributes to the development of the understanding that military service can significantly increase self-esteem. However, on the other hand, there is an opinion that the benefits accruing from war can never outweigh the cost of fighting it, which is inherent to the pacifist point of view. This view is valid, since human and material losses in wartime can greatly affect both the country’s economy and the top authorities.
Reference List
Morkevičius, V. (2018) Realist ethics: Just war traditions as power politics. Cambridge University Press.
Pötzsch, H. (2017) ‘Selective realism: Filtering experiences of war and violence in first-and third-person shooters’, Games and Culture, 12(2), pp.156-178.
Sriram, C.L., Martin-Ortega, O. and Herman, J., 2017. War, conflict and human rights: theory and practice. Routledge.