“Sheer Sentimentality”: George Orwell on Area Bombing, War, and Evil

Abstract The principle of civilian protection in war is ancient, yet precarious. Its precarity is evident in George Orwell’s writings—he derides military realism, denounces antiwar pacifism, and argues for area bombing that does not distinguish between civilians and warfighters. I contend that Orwell’s position is consistent and preempts contemporary debates within just war theory. The idea that we ought to protect innocents in war is not inherently contradictory, but is precarious and so subject to abandonment in times of great political violence. This supports Orwell’s argument that while war is sometimes the lesser evil, it is nonetheless always evil, because it invites us to abandon our foundational moral principles. We must take this point more seriously when reasoning about war.