Wrong to Kill Enemy Civilians Essay

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However, according to Waller, morality is founded on the concept of duty (64). Indeed, critical to deontological ethics is the ability of an individual to do his duty. Duty in this case may be regarded to as the general rule in regard to morality. In war time situations, this includes self-evident rules including protection of unarmed civilians.

Further, it is important to note that the jus in bello concept (morals adhered to at the time of war) which is rather deontological declares that war must be fought with the right intention. Hence in that regard, military tactics which are inherently immoral like the killing of civilians at the time of war are unacceptable.

In one of his lessons (part of the eleven lessons), McNamara states that "proportionality should be a guideline in war." In my opinion, the principle of proportionality which is largely embedded in not only the national but also the international legal and ethical order should always be invoked at the time of war. My argument is based on its applicability when it comes to evaluating the reasons or morality of undertaking the war (jus ad bellum) and how the war is actually fought (jus in bello).

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The ethical issues at play in these two scenarios (jus ad bellum and jus in bello) include but are not in any way limited to whether going to war is justified given the alternatives available, the rules of engagement those at war should adhere to, the weaponry used at the time of war, the treatment of those captured during the war as well as how civilians and other vulnerable people are treated during the war.

Conclusion

In conclusion, of all human interactions, war comes across as one of the most horrific and destructive. In fact, war often presents a 'just' platform for people to spread mayhem and bring about widespread suffering. But in my opinion, killing enemy civilians at the time of war can never have a moral Justification.

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