Hey Guys Please Hear Me Out and send me your opinions
Well... I am doing an essay on the topic Can terrorism ever be justified.
My Own Opinion is Terrorism can be justified.
I have some ideas but I just don't know how to put them together, so please hear me out and give advises.
My thesis is if War can be justified so cans terrorism.
There is this theory call "Just War" which is a theory to justify wars.
Here it is
1. A just war can only be waged as a last resort. All non-violent options must be exhausted be fore use of forces is justified.
2. A war must be waged by a legitimate authority.
3. A just war can only be fought to redress a genuine wrong suffered. Self-defense is always considered a just cause.
4 A war can be just only if there is reasonable chance of success. Deaths and injuries incurred in a hopeless cause are not morally justifiable.
5. The ultimate goal must be to establish peace. The peace established post-war must be preferable to any peace that would have prevailed had the war not happened.
6. The violence in the war must be proportional to the injury suffered. States cannot justly use unnecessary force.
7. Weapons used must discriminate between civilians and combatants. Civilians are never permissible targets, and all efforts must be taken to avoid their being harmed.
From an article called standards of a 'just war' are not met this time by Tom Harpur stays that the war in Iraq is not a just war.
there is also two ways to look at this question.
If you are a utilitarian and believe in utilitarianism then you will agree that wars can be justified when follow the theory of a just war. Utilitarianism is the calculation of pleasure and pain. They accept the theory of sacrifice one to bring the pleasure of many.
Another view is from Immanuel Kant. He is the total opposite.
I will use an example to show Immanuel Kant's theory and Utilitarian's theory
The example is: if you and 10 other people from different countries caught by terrorists and they give you the authority to determine others life what will you do? There are two choices the first one is in order to let the 10 people go you have to choose one person from that group of people to be killed. what will you do? If you do not choose all of them will get killed.
I would choose to kill the one person in order to save the other nine.
Utilitarian will do the same, they think you choice is justified because more people is alive than dead.
but Immanuel Kant will not choose at all, even though he will then kill everyone but he believes that to kill is wrong thus he will not be justified under any circumstances if he chooses to kill that one person.
I talked to my philosophy teacher, but he did not really explain anything thing but instead keep on asking me what would I do if he punches me. I said I won’t punch you back because you are my teacher. But he keeps on asking that what I would do if he keeps on punching me. I said I would punch you back in order to stop you from punching me. He then explained the just war theory and told me that self defense is justified. Which is funny because by saying that he already admits that Immanuel Kant’s theory will not exist in our society...?
Since we are arguing with in the theory of utilitarianism then terrorism is justified because war can be.
Wars involves killing and dieing. In Immanuel Kant's view war will never be justified because killing is morally wrong. n Utilitarian's view killing is wrong but it is justified when you are self defending
Another thing is this problem about understanding justified's meaning.
Well a clear example will be who you think is the good guy between American troops and the terrorists they are fighting with.
I think the word justified really means that can terrorism and what they do to be seemed right?
That is when my thesis coming in place. Which basically means that if the unjustifiable war can be justified then why can’t terrorism?
Many people don't know about the terrorists under the media. We see the video tape of how many people a suicide bomber have killed. But we never see the tape of how many Iraq people have been killed by American troops or the method they use to make a terrorist come out from its hiding spot which is throwing a chemical which will burn right into your bones when the powder land on you, isn't that crucial?
Another thought is about revolution. don't we all have to right to revolute when our government is not doing a good job. I believe we should. So if the PLQ want to be independent, they are justified for what they have done.
One more thought that is in my mind is: are there two kinds of terrorists?
One is the freedom fighter which is like George Washington the other one is like KKK which I believe is fighting to take away the equality of human beings.
I think I didn't make that much sense but just try to understand what I said and maybe give your opinions or advises
Thankx
