Just war theory and US military hegemony

Harry van der Linden, Butler University

Abstract

Since the Soviet Union’s collapse, the United States has tried to cement its position as military hegemon by investing heavily in military technology. In “Just War Theory and US Military Hegemony,” Harry van der Linden explores the moral repercussions of our unipolar military world, which seems unanticipated by thinkers from the just war tradition. If weaker countries are precluded (by the jus ad bellum principles of reasonable chance of success and proportionality) from declaring (an otherwise just) war against the US, does the tradition unfairly favor the hegemon? This question is answered affirmatively, and a new direction for the tradition is advocated. Van der Linden concludes that as long as the U.S. seeks to sustain its status as hegemon, the bar for just resort to war is raised considerably. (From the Introduction to Rethinking the Just War Tradition)

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