peace & conflict: conflict Flashcards
just war theory
presumes that there are legitimate uses of war but also sets moral boundaries on the waging of war
realist: can there be a just war?
N/A: war is a political act & needs no justification.
Politics exists outside the scope of ethics.
liberal: can there be a just war?
YES: war can be justified if it conforms to certain moral principles
pacifist: can there be a just war?
NO: war is an unnecessary evil that can never be justified.
who is most associated with the just war theory?
St. Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274)
jus ad bellum
right to war
jus in bello
right conduct in war
6 criteria for just war theory
- must have a just cause
- must have a just intention
- war must be declared by the govt of a country
- it should be the last resort
- must have a good chance of being successful and bringing about peace
- Must be in proportion
(The ends must justify the means. It should not kill too many people, especially if they are not involved in the fighting)
6 criteria for jus in bello
- Appropriate weapons should be used
- Distinction between combatants and non combatants
- Armed forces must use proportional force
- Treat prisoners of war well
- No weapons or means of war that are ‘evil in themselves’ are permitted
- Armed forces are not justified in breaking these rules in response to the enemy
breaking these rules.
proportionality problem: jus ad bellum vs jus in bello
Jus Ad Bellum- Force must be proportional to the harm
Jus in Bello- Do not use more force than necessary to achieve aims.
What if the only way to achieve your aims - the force used - is unproportional to the harm?
the geneva convention
- 1949
- provide an agreed-upon framework of legal protections to safeguard soldiers, civilians, and prisoners during wartime
definition of conflict
Conflict is the dynamic process of actual or perceived opposition between individuals and groups. This could be opposition over positions, interests or values.
Johan Galtung definition of conflict
conflict is “actors in pursuit of incompatible goals”
2 ways to categorize conflict
- by the actors who are involved
- by the issue of contention
Typology of Conflict- Parties Involved (5)
- Inter-state conflict
- Extra-state conflict
- Internationalized internal conflict
- Intra-state conflict-
- Non-state armed conflict
inter-state conflict
b/w two diff governments
extra-state conflict
b/w foreign govt and non-state group
Internationalized internal conflict
between government and internal opposition (supported by international intervention)
intra-state conflict
between government and internal opposition
non-state armed conflict
b/w two internal armed states (not govt of a state)
Dr. Christopher Moore: 5 causes of conflict
- relationship
- data
- interest
- value
- structural
cyber attacks
Technology used to attack a countries infrastructure
- conflict: relationship, interest
sanctions
Economic penalties used to change the behavior of a country
- conflict: value
trade war
Tariffs and Quotas used for domestic economic growth or to punish another country.
- conflict: interest, data
proxy war
Powerful countries indirectly fight one another by funding/opposing opposite sides
- conflict: value, interest
domestic destabilization
Supporting/arming opposition/separatists or terrorist groups
- conflict: value, structural, relationship
electoral interference
Influence elections to support their preferred candidate
- conflict: value
diplomatic dispute
Punish or isolate other governments by limiting or cutting off diplomatic relations
- conflict: value, relationship
environmental conflict
Manipulate shared ecosystems to either benefit themselves or harm their neighbors
- conflict: interest, data
war of secession
Conflict involving groups of people who want independence from their country
- conflict: relationship, structural, interests
war of succession
Conflicts involving groups of people seeking to overthrow and replace a country’s government or ruling authority.
- conflict: relationship, interests, structural, value
Violence waged by terrorist or criminal organizations
Conflicts involving terrorist or criminal organizations that commit acts of violence for political, ideological, or financial motivations
- conflict: value, interests
state-sanctioned violence
Conflicts involving the police, military, or other government group persecuting the country’s own citizens—often targeting those from a minority group.
- conflict: structural, relationship, interests, value
resource-driven conflict
Conflicts involving several groups vying to control and profit from a country’s natural resources.
- conflict: interests
IB causes of conflict
greed vs grievance, territorial control, material interest, resource scarcity, ideology, threatened identity, perception
greed vs grievance
Greed- combatants in conflicts are motivated by opportunistic reasons.
Grievance- people rebel over issues of inequality, discrimination, authoritarianism.
Common factor: Perception of a certain deprivation
- Deprivation caused by economics
- Deprivation caused by identity
who argued that GREED caused civil wars?
Paul Collier and Anke Hoeffler
- Combatants are motivated by improving their economic situation.
- Cost-benefit analysis- the rewards of joining outweigh the rewards of not joining.
- Conflict do not begin if they do not have the financing- whether through diaspora or acquisition of natural resources
- States with low GDP are more likely to engage in a violent conflict because there is a potential to make money.
criticisms with greed over grievance
There are many other factors that lead to interstate conflict
- Ethnic struggles cause conflict (Hutus and Tutsi)
- Separatist movements
- Marginalization of different identity groups
fails to explain
- Why there are rebellions in non-resource areas.
- Why some conflicts take longer to solve than others.
Michael Brown “The Causes of Internal Conflict” (4)
- structural factors (weak states, intra-state security concerns, ethnic geography)
- economic/social factors (economic problems, discriminatory economic systems, modernization)
- political factors (discriminatory political institutions, exclusionary national ideologies, elite politics)
- cultural/perceptual factors (patterns of cultural discrimination, problematic group histories)
elements of conflict analysis
Issues- What is the conflict about?
Parties- Who is involved in the conflict?
Relationships- What are the relationship between the parties?
History- What is the history of the conflict?
Styles- How have the parties chosen to deal with the conflict?
Management- What is the history of the effort to manage the conflict?
factors behind the decline of interstate war
Development of nuclear weapons (MAD)
International alliances NATO
IGOs like the UN- promote multilateral approaches
Complex interdependence
Democratic Peace Theory
conditions that make conflict more likely
Little or no democratic means of dispute resolution; minorities excluded from political representation
Wealth, territory or resources shared unequally and controlled by powerful elites
Poverty
Government is above the law, making arbitrary and illegitimate decisions
Judicial system is absent or interfered with, not independent or fair
Human rights are abused
conditions making conflict less likely
Democratic institutions exist, with full political equality and participation
Equal sharing of resources and wealth
Equality of opportunity for all
Government respects the rule of law
Disputes can be resolved fairly through a fair and independent judicial system
Respect for human rights (especially of minorities)
