Attitudes Towards Armed Conflicts: An Ethical Reflection on War

ABSTRACT: Armed conflicts are one of the greatest challenges facing contemporary society. Despite attempts to avoid wars, history and current reality show us that this is not very easy to achieve. Due to their conflictual nature, humans are the ones who cause various conflicts which, if not resolved diplomatically, can escalate and cause significant damage. The biggest problem with war is that it leads to the loss of human lives, which is totally wrong if we consider that life is sacred. There are three attitudes that a person can develop towards armed conflicts: activism, pacifism, and the theory of just war. Activism argues that a military conflict generated by the state leadership must be supported regardless of the reasons and causes invoked. Pacifism argues that no conflict can be justified. Between these two diametrically opposed perspectives lies the theory of just war, which, although it advocates for peace, argues that in certain cases, some wars can be justified. All three approaches raise questions when analyzed from an ethical point of view, taking as their starting point the sanctity of life, which must be protected by all possible means. KEYWORDS: armed conflict, war, ethics, activism, pacifism, just war theory