Just and Unjust Wars

A Moral Argument with Historical Illustrations

By: Michael Walzer

Narrated by: Gregory St. John

“A classic in the field” (New York Times), this is a penetrating investigation into moral and ethical questions raised by war, drawing on examples from antiquity to the present.

Just and Unjust Wars has forever changed how we think about the ethics of conflict. In this modern classic, political philosopher Michael Walzer examines the moral issues that arise before, during, and after the wars we fight. Reaching from the Athenian attack on Melos, to the Mai Lai massacre, to the war in Afghanistan and beyond, Walzer mines historical and contemporary accounts and the testimony of participants, decision makers, and victims to explain when war is justified and what ethical limitations apply to those who wage it.

Critic reviews

"A magnificent book, an honor to its writer...a book that makes for a return of civilized discussion of the question of the morality of war."—New York Review of Books

"A passionate defense of the old principle of non-combatant immunity.... [Walzer] is both thorough and persuasive in his exploration of a very intricate subject."—Washington Post

"A classic in the field."—New York Times

"One of the most significant modern restatements of just-war thinking."—Nation

"A clear, humane, and startingly original survey of the moral issues that complicate modern war-making."—Atlantic

Excellent conversation on statecraft and the morality of war

Excellent conversation on statecraft and the morality of war. Great breakdown of Just War Theory with historical applications.

Moral destruction

Provided great insight on how war is dealt within the moral context. An example is how a soldier is okay to kill while a civilian is not? How is one killing viewed differently and what is the impact of that decision.

Less than one star

An opinion piece not based on any significant research. The book is worth less than one star.