{"id":{"repo_id":"mo-state","oai_identifier":"oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-2447"},"canonical_url":"https://search.dev.ndltd.org/etd/mo-state/oai:bearworks.missouristate.edu:theses-2447","repository":{"repo_id":"mo-state","name":"Missouri State University","base_url":"https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/do/oai/"},"display":{"title":"Just War Theory in the Nuclear Age","abstract":"Justice in the recourse to war and in the conduct of war can be measured. Some of the world's greatest philosophers, ethicists, and theologians contributed to the debate of faith and force to ensure the justice of warfare. The principles which have evolved from centuries of study are encompassed within just war theory. Just war theory represents an ethical and theological set of guidelines for individuals to assess the justice of war. Just war theory is still applicable to questions in the nuclear age. The principles of jus ad bellum and jus in bello can be applied to the use of nuclear weapons – both for employment during warfare and for deterrence purposes. Pacifistic voices call for further reductions in the U.S. nuclear arsenal with the goal of complete nuclear disarmament. However, it must be unequivocally clear that in order to act justly government should be guided by its mandate to protect the innocent and punish evil. To this end, the United States should maintain a nuclear arsenal that can justly deter our adversaries, dissuade aggressors, and ultimately protect the innocent. This requires a U.S. nuclear policy that embraces just deterrence policy, honors the commitments made to defend our allies, and justly targets an adversary's military. The United States nuclear policy must accomplish these goals, while at the same time making it clear that its nuclear capability can be congruent with the requirements of the just war doctrine.","abstract_html":"Justice in the recourse to war and in the conduct of war can be measured. Some of the world's greatest philosophers, ethicists, and theologians contributed to the debate of faith and force to ensure the justice of warfare. The principles which have evolved from centuries of study are encompassed within just war theory. Just war theory represents an ethical and theological set of guidelines for individuals to assess the justice of war. Just war theory is still applicable to questions in the nuclear age. The principles of jus ad bellum and jus in bello can be applied to the use of nuclear weapons – both for employment during warfare and for deterrence purposes. Pacifistic voices call for further reductions in the U.S. nuclear arsenal with the goal of complete nuclear disarmament. However, it must be unequivocally clear that in order to act justly government should be guided by its mandate to protect the innocent and punish evil. To this end, the United States should maintain a nuclear arsenal that can justly deter our adversaries, dissuade aggressors, and ultimately protect the innocent. This requires a U.S. nuclear policy that embraces just deterrence policy, honors the commitments made to defend our allies, and justly targets an adversary's military. The United States nuclear policy must accomplish these goals, while at the same time making it clear that its nuclear capability can be congruent with the requirements of the just war doctrine.","abstract_has_math":false,"creators":["Koeshall, Stephanie Joy Merrell"],"institution":null,"degree_name":"Master of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies","degree_level":"Masters","degree_discipline":"Defense and Strategic Studies","degree_department":null,"school":null,"contributors":["Keith Payne"],"advisors":[],"committee_chairs":[],"committee_members":[],"year":2009,"date_issued":"2009-12-01T08:00:00Z","date_published":"2009-12-01T08:00:00Z","updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:16:37Z","subjects":["just war theory","nuclear weapons","deterrence","jus ad bellum","jus in bello","Defense and Security Studies"],"languages":[],"rights":["© Stephanie Joy Merrell Koeshall"],"rights_urls":[],"identifier_entries":[]},"links":{"outbound_url":"https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1446","outbound_label":"Repository record","outbound_source":"dc:identifier"},"metadata_groups":[{"id":"people","label":"People","entries":[{"key":"dc:contributor","label":"Contributor","values":["Keith Payne"]},{"key":"dc:creator","label":"Author","values":["Koeshall, Stephanie Joy Merrell"]}]},{"id":"academic_context","label":"Academic Context","entries":[{"key":"thesis:degree_discipline","label":"Discipline","values":["Defense and Strategic Studies"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_level","label":"Degree Level","values":["Masters"]},{"key":"thesis:degree_name","label":"Degree Name","values":["Master of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies"]}]},{"id":"subjects_keywords","label":"Subjects and Keywords","entries":[{"key":"dc:subject","label":"Dc Subject","values":["just war theory","nuclear weapons","deterrence","jus ad bellum","jus in bello","Defense and Security Studies"]}]},{"id":"language_rights","label":"Language and Rights","entries":[{"key":"dc:rights","label":"Dc Rights","values":["© Stephanie Joy Merrell Koeshall"]}]},{"id":"identifiers","label":"Identifiers","entries":[{"key":"dc:identifier","label":"Identifier","values":["https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1446"]}]},{"id":"additional","label":"Additional Metadata","entries":[{"key":"dc:description.abstract","label":"Abstract","values":["Justice in the recourse to war and in the conduct of war can be measured. Some of the world's greatest philosophers, ethicists, and theologians contributed to the debate of faith and force to ensure the justice of warfare. The principles which have evolved from centuries of study are encompassed within just war theory. Just war theory represents an ethical and theological set of guidelines for individuals to assess the justice of war. Just war theory is still applicable to questions in the nuclear age. The principles of jus ad bellum and jus in bello can be applied to the use of nuclear weapons – both for employment during warfare and for deterrence purposes. Pacifistic voices call for further reductions in the U.S. nuclear arsenal with the goal of complete nuclear disarmament. However, it must be unequivocally clear that in order to act justly government should be guided by its mandate to protect the innocent and punish evil. To this end, the United States should maintain a nuclear arsenal that can justly deter our adversaries, dissuade aggressors, and ultimately protect the innocent. This requires a U.S. nuclear policy that embraces just deterrence policy, honors the commitments made to defend our allies, and justly targets an adversary's military. The United States nuclear policy must accomplish these goals, while at the same time making it clear that its nuclear capability can be congruent with the requirements of the just war doctrine."]},{"key":"dc:title","label":"Title","values":["Just War Theory in the Nuclear Age"]}]}],"canonical_facts":{"dc:contributor":["Keith Payne"],"dc:creator":["Koeshall, Stephanie Joy Merrell"],"dc:description.abstract":["Justice in the recourse to war and in the conduct of war can be measured. Some of the world's greatest philosophers, ethicists, and theologians contributed to the debate of faith and force to ensure the justice of warfare. The principles which have evolved from centuries of study are encompassed within just war theory. Just war theory represents an ethical and theological set of guidelines for individuals to assess the justice of war. Just war theory is still applicable to questions in the nuclear age. The principles of jus ad bellum and jus in bello can be applied to the use of nuclear weapons – both for employment during warfare and for deterrence purposes. Pacifistic voices call for further reductions in the U.S. nuclear arsenal with the goal of complete nuclear disarmament. However, it must be unequivocally clear that in order to act justly government should be guided by its mandate to protect the innocent and punish evil. To this end, the United States should maintain a nuclear arsenal that can justly deter our adversaries, dissuade aggressors, and ultimately protect the innocent. This requires a U.S. nuclear policy that embraces just deterrence policy, honors the commitments made to defend our allies, and justly targets an adversary's military. The United States nuclear policy must accomplish these goals, while at the same time making it clear that its nuclear capability can be congruent with the requirements of the just war doctrine."],"dc:identifier":["https://bearworks.missouristate.edu/theses/1446"],"dc:rights":["© Stephanie Joy Merrell Koeshall"],"dc:subject":["just war theory","nuclear weapons","deterrence","jus ad bellum","jus in bello","Defense and Security Studies"],"dc:title":["Just War Theory in the Nuclear Age"],"thesis:degree_discipline":["Defense and Strategic Studies"],"thesis:degree_level":["Masters"],"thesis:degree_name":["Master of Science in Defense and Strategic Studies"]},"updated_at":"2026-07-24T03:16:37Z"}