WAR AND PEACE IN FRANCISCO DE VITORIA

Abstract

Five centuries ago Francisco de Vitoria thought deeply about war and presented some ideas that can be very interesting today. The article attempts to explore them. According to the professor from Salamanca, the public good and the defense of the people are the only aim that can legitimize war. Moreover, he states that war is not just if it causes greater evils than those it want to avoid and that there is a universal political community. As a result, the rulers should always take into consideration the good of the whole of mankind. Vitoria advocates, furthermore, a sort of conscientious objection and the need for the decisions in favor or against war not to be taken by rulers on their own, but they have to pay attention to people who have some interesting ideas on that.