Od justum bellum do powszechnej mobilizacji

Abstract

As we know, contemporary mass democracy imposes political correctness standards. The issue of war belongs to such problems. Within the framework of democratic correctness, this common phenomenon in history cannot be discussed as an unavoidable question for any society. Nevertheless, war constitutes a constant element of universal history, therefore the promotion of evidently pacifist attitudes further leads to weakening the spirit of bravery and justifiable defence and - consequently - to a moralist interpretation of war as evil in itself. Such an attitude envolves refutation of classical doctrine of formal (or just) war and moves it into the abyss of anomy and wildness. To sum up, contemporary pacifist education leads to acceptance of the opinion that war exists beyond of civilisation and therefore no restriction can be imposed thereon. In this perspective, the classic enemy (hostis) is not a formal enemy anymore but manifests itself morally as the essence of evil and aesthetically repulsive, i.e. as en enemy of entire mankind - the one that should be annihilated. In other words, there imerges a shy tendency to blur the difference between the enemy and the criminal. Contemporary understanding of war deprives honours and rights to which the formal enemy is entitled and which resulted from the former doctrine of just war. The present paper id devoted to the criticism of such tendencies.