The Morality of the Civil War: Just War Theory and Union Policy and Conduct

Authors

Michael Payne, Liberty UniversityFollow

Abstract

This article shall argue that the Union army, which was composed primarily of Christian soldiers and officers, prosecuted the Civil War in as moral a fashion as possible. It shall examine the different ways in which one can judge the morality of war, concluding that the tenets of Just War Theory are the best standard by which to judge a belligerent’s actions. It shall then examine Union war policy to determine if it is consistent with Just War Theory. This shall be done through a side-by-side comparison of Just War Theory’s tenets and Union policy. It shall then explore whether Union conduct adhered to both policy and Just War Theory. The article will find that, through the adoption of and adherence to the Lieber Code, the Union conducted the war in general accordance with Just War Theory, supporting the argument that the Union prosecuted the war as morally as possible.

Recommended Citation

Payne, Michael (2025) "The Morality of the Civil War: Just War Theory and Union Policy and Conduct," Bound Away: The Liberty Journal of History: Vol. 8: Iss. 1, Article 5.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/ljh/vol8/iss1/5