Just and Unjust Wars

About this book

From a premier political philosopher, a penetrating investigation into the moral and ethical questions raised by war. "A magnificent book, an honor to its writer...a book that makes for a return of civilized discussion of the question of the morality of war."―New York Review of Books Just and Unjust Wars has forever changed how we think about the ethics of conflict. In this modern classic, political philosopher Michael Walzer examines the moral issues that arise before, during, and after the wars we fight. Reaching from the Athenian attack on Melos, to the Mai Lai massacre, to the war in Afghanistan and beyond, Walzer mines historical and contemporary accounts and the testimony of participants, decision makers, and victims to explain when war is justified and what ethical limitations apply to those who wage it.