For a war to be ethical, it must meet several requirements. An appropriate sovereign institution must be declared openly, such as the political community in question or the governing authority. Second, the cause of the war must be just, like a fight that defends the common good or one that responds to a serious injustice (Benbaji and Statman, 2019). Third, the states at war must have just intentions, such that the waged confrontation must be for justice instead of self-interest. Lastly, war is considered ethical when its aim is established on the need to have a just peace (Benbaji and Statman, 2019). Further, for a war to be considered just, it must have reasonable chances of success (Benbaji and Statman, 2019). Moreover, the associated war benefits must outweigh the anticipated costs, and force used must be the last option.
By borrowing from utilitarian ethics, moral decisions attributed to any war must be based on the outcomes of the actions. With the theory comes the understanding that for any war to be considered ethical, the impact of its actions must determine the greatest good for the greatest number (Benbaji and Statman, 2019). An example of a historical war that falls within ethical lines is the American Civil War. The common explanation associated with the American Civil War was the ethical issue of slavery. The economics of slavery and the political control of the system that facilitated the bondage of other men was the central theme that led to the conflict associated with the war (Benbaji and Statman, 2019). From utilitarian ethics, the actions of the war were meant to fight oppression, which served to satisfy the greatest good for the greatest number.
Reference
Benbaji, Y., & Statman, D. (2019). War by agreement: A contractarian ethics of war. Oxford University Press