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Periodical article | Leiden University catalogue | WorldCat |
Title: | Just war theory and the ANC's armed struggle |
Author: | Miller, S.R. |
Year: | 1990 |
Periodical: | Quest: An International African Journal of Philosophy (ISSN 1011-226X) |
Volume: | 4 |
Issue: | 2 |
Period: | December |
Pages: | 81-102 |
Language: | English |
Notes: | biblio. refs. |
Geographic terms: | South Africa Southern Africa |
Subjects: | national liberation struggles African National Congress (South Africa) military sociology Philosophy, Psychology war violence philosophy |
Abstract: | After outlining a theory of the just war and characterizing the situation in South Africa, the author applies his just war theory to the armed struggle of the ANC and its military wing, Umkhonto we Sizwe. According to his definition of what constitutes a just war, the ANC is morally entitled to wage war against the South African government if (1) the latter is violating the rights of ANC members; (2) there is no alternative nonviolent method by which the ANC could prevent this violation; (3) the ANC has a reasonable chance of ending this violation by using violence; (4) it is probable that if the ANC uses violence the consequences, all things considered, will be better than if it does not; (5) the ANC uses violence only to the end of bringing about the cessation of the South African government's violation of the rights of ANC members; and (6) the ANC only uses types of violence that are morally legitimate, and an extent of violence that is necessary to the end in question. In terms of clauses (1), (2), (5) and (6) the ANC could reasonably claim to be engaged in a just war. However, the ANC's armed struggle does not meet the conditions specified in clauses (3) and (4), but this is due to lack of knowledge of outcomes, and it may be that their armed struggle could meet some acceptably weakened versions of these clauses. Bibliogr., notes, ref., sum. in French (p. 80). |