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Counting Animals in War: First Steps towards an Inclusive Just-War Theory

Posted on 23 November 2021

Dr Sara Van Goozen is published

Sara Van Goozen image

Congratulations are in order for Dr Sara Van Goozen, her article Counting Animals in War, First Steps towards an Inclusive Just-War Theory has been published in Social Theory and Practice

Abstract:

War is harmful to animals, but few have considered how such harm should affect assessments of the justice of military actions. In this article, we propose a way in which concern for animals can be included within the just-war framework, with a focus on necessity and proportionality. We argue that counting animals in war will not make just-war theory excessively demanding, but it will make just-war theory more humane. By showing how animals can be included in our proportionality and necessity assessments, we provide a crucial first step towards developing an animal-inclusive account of just-war theory.