ME4816 The Western Just War Tradition: Ethics, Laws, and Practices of War from Antiquity to the Renaissance
Academic year
2025 to 2026 Full Year
Curricular information may be subject to change
Further information on which modules are specific to your programme.
Key module information
SCOTCAT credits
60
SCQF level
SCQF level 10
Availability restrictions
Not automatically available to General Degree students
Planned timetable
TBC
Module Staff
Dr Rory Cox
Module description
A rich body of evidence has emerged over the last 2,500 years concerning the moral challenges posed by warfare. Through Classical Greece and Rome to the early Church and the Middle Ages, the justice of war has been debated in theology, philosophy, and jurisprudence. This has come to be identified as the Western Just War Tradition, and its fundamental principles remain central to contemporary international law and the laws of armed conflict. This module will explore how ideas about justifiable warfare developed, and how certain norms emerged which were intended to regulate or limit violent conflict. Students will examine how such theories, rules, and laws were espoused, and the degree to which they were observed or ignored in practice. The module will challenge students by approaching the subject from various angles, including intellectual history, political theory, and politico-military history.
Relationship to other modules
Pre-requisites
BEFORE TAKING THIS MODULE YOU MUST PASS AT LEAST 60 CREDITS FROM {ME1003, ME1006, ME2003, HI2001, MH2002}
Assessment pattern
2 x 2 hour Written Examinations = 40%, Coursework = 60%
Re-assessment
New Coursework: 1 x source exercise (2,500 words) and 1 x 5,000-word essay = 100%
Learning and teaching methods and delivery
Weekly contact
1 x 3-hour seminar, plus 1 office hour.
Scheduled learning hours
66
Guided independent study hours
534