Conclusion: Just War Theory and the Ethics of Secession

Abstract

Concludes an essay collection that examined four themes at the heart of the ethics of secession. Here, the various criteria embodied in the jus ad bellum dimension of just war theory -- just cause, right intentions, legitimate authority, likelihood of success, proportionality, & last resort -- are deployed to compare the moral claims of the various discussed movements seeking unilateral secession. Each principle is analyzed in turn & its meaning defined in the context of the ethics of secession in individual, contextualized cases. It is asserted that application of the jus ad bellum principles to cases of unilateral secession allows for a differentiated normative analysis. J. Zendejas