Description
This paper explores Cicero’s work on war and peace and its contribution to the development of Western political thought. It argues that Cicero’s just war approach contains the same contradiction seen between Rome’s actual policy of waging mostly aggressive wars and its claimed adherence to just wars to be seen as waging wars in line with the law of nations. It explores how Cicero developed this approach from a combination of moderate versions of Skepticism and Stoicism to justify Rome’s preventive wars, wars to avenge injuries, wars for supremacy and glory, and extensive military interventions on behalf of global human society. It argues that notwithstanding Western scholars’ critique of his public career and his philosophy as largely derivative, he is seen as an adherent of just war in Western political thought despite being an advocate of Rome’s aggressive policy of war. It explores the contribution his work made to the development of Christian and Renaissance humanist just war traditions, theories of colonialism, and modern international law. It examines what Rome’s policy of war and its justification by Cicero may tell us about modern war trends especially the US policy of preventive, humanitarian, and regime change wars and their justifications by Western just war theorists.
