Is "Just War" the ends justifying the means?

[Pieman333272]

I was reading about the “Just War” Doctrine, and questioned if it is an example of the ends (peace, goodness, safety) justifying the means (killing, hurting, and destruction). Is such the case?

 

[Loml]

Not at all. Just war takes into account the total suffering caused by conflict and generally only approves of conflict as a last resort. ‘Ends justify the means’ strike me as doing neither.

 

[ignatius777]

I was reading about the “Just War” Doctrine, and questioned if it is an example of the ends (peace, goodness, safety) justifying the means (killing, hurting, and destruction). Is such the case?

No one would argue if you are attacked and you defend yourself that that is unjust. Ending WWII the way we did probably saved more lives then it took no matter how horrible that ending was.

 

[Trader]

I was reading about the “Just War” Doctrine, and questioned if it is an example of the ends (peace, goodness, safety) justifying the means (killing, hurting, and destruction). Is such the case?

The logical problem with your question seems to be the assumption that killing is always bad. It is not. Killing can be good thing if it promotes a higher good, like the saving the lives of the innocent. A police sharpshooter who kills a hostage taker threatening imminent harm to hostages is a hero, not a villain.

God himself commanded that murderers be put to death to provide justice and order for the whole of Hebrew society.

Bishop Fulton J Sheen addressed the problem by explaining that we rarely face the choice between war and peace. If the choice is between war and great oppression, war can be the just choice.

 

[CollegeStinks]

The logical problem with your question seems to be the assumption that killing is always bad. It is not. Killing can be good thing if it promotes a higher good, like the saving the lives of the innocent. A police sharpshooter who kills a hostage taker threatening imminent harm to hostages is a hero, not a villain.

God himself commanded that murderers be put to death to provide justice and order for the whole of Hebrew society.

Bishop Fulton J Sheen addressed the problem by explaining that we rarely face the choice between war and peace. If the choice is between war and great oppression, war can be the just choice.

Just curious, where is it written that He said that?
Also the last two sentences are a good point.

 

[Brendan]

The logical problem with your question seems to be the assumption that killing is always bad. It is not. Killing can be good thing if it promotes a higher good, like the saving the lives of the innocent. .

Exactly. Ends cannot justifiy means, but that only has any meaning of the means are evil. In the cases you mentioned, the means are justified on their own merit.