Vittorio Bufacchi: Can war ever be justified?

The justification of war on moral grounds, also known as Just War Theory, has a long tradition in Western philosophy going back many centuries

Damaged building following a shelling in Ukraine's second-biggest city of Kharkiv olast week. Picture: Sergey Bobok/AFP/Getty Images

There are two truths about war: All wars are intrinsically evil, and it is neither sweet nor honourable to die for one’s country. 

And yet, recent events in Ukraine compel us to ponder the ethics of entering the theatre of war.