Abstract

This article deals with issues concerning the morality of war. It discusses when the use of force is justified and when it is simply a form of aggression. The current situation has contributed to the re-examination of issues surrounding warfare. New problems and issues have arisen, for example, terrorism and humanitarian intervention, which require an ethical response. This article is an attempt to answer some of these questions. An additional challenge that has to be met is the very nature of modern warfare. A. Zwoliński writes: “Old wars consisted in a battle against the enemy forces with the aim of coming to a quick decision as to which side was the stronger, and they ended with peace being made; ‘new wars’, however, are characterized by the dislocation of forces in time and space, resembling partisan warfare, and it is difficult to differentiate between war and peace (‘new wars’ have no clear end; they are not concluded with an appropriate legal instrument)”. Pacifism is yet another problem. We ask whether it is morally justifiable, whether or not contemporary man has the right to defend his interests (his country, nation)? Seen from the point of view of Catholic ethics, and in the light of papal declarations, it can be said that the pacifist stance is not a guarantee of peace but a certain form of utopia, which, unfortunately does not have a place in international relations. The aforementioned problems provoke constant reflection which should be encouraged both on the ethical as well as legal and political plane.