Just War: A Military History

FAIN: FEJ-309538-25

Jason Matthew Gehrke
Hillsdale College (Hillsdale, MI 49242-1298)

Research and writing toward a history of just war theory, from late antiquity to the War on Terror.

Research and drafting of new one volume history of moral reasoning in warfare entitled Just War: a Military History. Part I provides a new history of major Ancient, Medieval, and early Modern developments in Just War discourses that shaped the American founding. Part II focuses on the American context. One chapter examines the American Revolution in its trans-continental context, followed by chapters examining major shifts in moral argument and their relationship to American military strategies from the Civil War to the War on Terror. A conclusion restates the major claim—that moral reasoning precedes and directly shapes policy and strategy—and emphasizes that moral considerations operate to direct combat actions. The resulting history will establish the practical impact of moral reasoning upon military action.