Leiden University Student Repository

Siemensma, Friso Epke Franciscus Claes (2020)

Picking a Fight: On the Moral Status of Combatants in the Ethics of War

Bachelor thesis | Wijsbegeerte (BA)

In this thesis I will examine the plausibility of the independence thesis concerning the relation between jus ad bellum and jus in bello, by studying the concomitant principle of the moral equality of combatants. With Walzer defending the principle and McMahan denying it, I will argue that McMahan’s denial of the moral equality of combatants and consequently the independence thesis, ultimately relies on his account of moral responsibility for individuals in domestic society, which cannot be properly applied to combatants during war. As such, McMahan’s denial of the moral equality of combatants becomes invalid and with it, his denial of the independence thesis. In doing so, my thesis will add to the ongoing debate between the two philosophers and test the validity of their positions, which have been very influential within the field of the ethics of war, to hopefully come closer to resolving the still relevant debate.

McMahan

Combatants

Walzer

Ethics of War

Author

Siemensma, Friso Epke Franciscus Claes

Faculty

Faculty of Humanities

Specialisation

Ethics and Political Philosophy

Supervisors

Kalf, Wouter

ECTS Credits

10

Language

en