Bellum iustum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bellum iustum in Latin stands for "just war", or, a war that is a "justification for going to war, gathered under the ius ad bellum, and including ideas of just cause, right authority, last resort, right intention and the superior and final goal of achieving peace, or the other main component of just war tradition, the ius in bello, or law of war, that has to do with the restraint or limiting of war once begun, strongly appearing in terms of discrimination and proportionality, i.e. of the extent of harm, if any, that might be done to noncombatants and of the weapons used in war." [1]
The concept was coined by Saint Augustine who used Cicero's work as a source for inspiration. [2] The term was often used in the Christian era by the Pope when calling for crusades.
