Periodization of the history of the theory of just war

Introduction. The theory of just war is an ethical, philosophical and legal doctrine that influences the formation of international humanitarian law and the foreign policy of Western countries. The relevance of the study is due to the revision of the doctrine that began at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries, used to justify humanitarian interventions and counter-terrorism operations, as well as the lack of study of the periodization issues of the theory in Russian academic discourse. The purpose of the work is to identify the main periods of development of a just war theory, their features and continuity. The scientific novelty lies in the generalization and comparison of existing variants of periodizations, the identification of the stages of the modern period of the development of the doctrine.

Materials and methods. The source base of the study was the fundamental works of thinkers of various historical eras, as well as the work of modern Russian and foreign authors – adherents of both traditional and revision versions of the theory. Historical genetic, comparative and systemic methods were used in the work.

Analysis. It is stated that there is no single academically recognized chronology of the development of doctrine. Approaches to structuring the history of the theory presented in the works of A. D. Kumankov, K. L. Sazonova, D. McMahan, S. Maffettone and others. It has been revealed that, with all the variety of terminology, researchers agree on the separation of the watershed between medieval Christian thought and the secular legalist paradigm of the New Age. Particular attention is paid to the specifics of the modern stage, characterized by the collision of Western interpretation with alternative views (Marxist tradition), as well as the revision of theory in the context of humanitarian interventions.

Results. The author's interpretation of the modern period of the theory of just war is proposed. Two periods are distinguished: 1) the “Traditional,” including the theological (Christian) stage and the secular (legalist) stage; 2) “Modern,” divided into a stage of a bipolar world (coexistence with an alternative socialist concept) and a stage of a unipolar world (gaining an intellectual monopoly and developing a revisionist school).

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