Thepasttwodecadeshaveseenrenewedscholarlyandpopularinterestinthelawandmoralityofwar.PositionsthatoriginatedinthelateMiddleAgesthroughtheseventeenthcenturyhavereceivedmoresophisticatedphilosophicalelaboration.AlthoughmanycontemporarywritersappealtoideasdrawnfromKant’smoralphilosophy,hisexplicitdiscussionsofwarhavenotyetbeenbroughtintotheirproperplaceinthesedebates.Ripsteinarguesthataspecialmoralitygovernswarbecauseofitsdistinctiveimmorality:thewrongfulnessofenteringorremaininginaconditioninwhichforcedecideseverythingprovidesthestandardsforevaluatingthegroundsofinitiatingwar,thewaysinwhichwarsarefought,andtheresultsofpastwars.ThebookisamajorinterventionintojustwartheoryfromthemostinfluentialcontemporaryinterpreterandexponentofKant’spoliticalandlegaltheories.Beginningfromthedifferencebetweengoverninghumanaffairsthroughwordsandthroughforce,RipsteinarticulatesaKantianaccountofthestateasapubliclegalorderinwhichallusesofforcearebroughtunderlaw.Againstthisbackground,heprovidesinnovativeaccountsoftherightofnationaldefence,theimportanceofconductingwarinwaysthatpreservethepossibilityofafuturepeace,andthedistinctiveroleofinternationalinstitutionsinbringingforceunderlaw.
