A Just War Theory for a Four-Sided Armed Conflict

Abstract

Contemporary just war theory usually addresses armed conflicts between two group agents, assuming that one is an aggressor and the other a defender. This paper discusses conflicts between two ethnonational groups, both of which include defenders (minimalists) and aggressors (maximalists). The normative questions that this essay addresses are two: (1) Are minimalists entitled to join their maximalist conationals in fighting the maximalists on the other side, and if so, in which circumstances? (2) If so, what should minimalists have aimed to achieve by resorting to force and coercion?