For centuries, one of the most influential ways of giving moral legitimacy to warfare has been the Christian tradition known as just war theory. Originating in the writings of thinkers such as Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, the theory attempted to place ethical limits on war. Almost every war in modern history has been presented as a just war by at least one of the parties involved. War begets war. That witness does not eliminate the difficult decisions faced by political leaders, but it does challenge the seductive myth that war can ever be comfortably justified.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 15, 2026 17:03 UTC