Just War Theory serves as the moral framework for major democratic militaries and beyond. This book closely examines a vital aspect of this theory: the moral status of noncombatants. In the aftermath of September 11, 2001, the treatment of noncombatants—whether as incidental casualties in grey area operations or as detainees in preventative security measures—has gained significant relevance across nations. The critical question arises whether democracies and other states adhere to Just War principles in pursuing national security or if they exceed these limits in their actions against terrorist organizations. Zupan critiques the flaws within this complex moral reasoning, suggesting that many shortcomings can be addressed through Kantian methodology and the theory of autonomy. He posits that human beings possess unconditional worth, imposing moral constraints on others' actions. From this perspective, Zupan formulates principles that serve as moral guidelines for the use of force, advocating for a presumption against harming any individual and imposing strict conditions for justifying unintended collateral harm. Engaging with the works of moral theorists like Onora O'Neill and Michael Walzer, Zupan concludes that targeting the innocent may only be justified under extremely rare circumstances, where the innocent themselves would accept the principle that allowed for their harm.
