The first major philosophical treatment of contingent pacifism, offering an account of pacifism from the just war tradition.

Larry May is W. Alton Jones Professor of Philosophy, Professor of Law, and Professor of Political Science at Vanderbilt University, Tennessee. He is the author or editor of thirty books, including After War Ends: A Philosophical Perspective (Cambridge, 2012), Global Justice and Due Process (Cambridge, 2011), Genocide: A Normative Account (Cambridge, 2010), Aggression and Crimes against Peace (Cambridge, 2008), War Crimes and Just War (Cambridge, 2007), and Crimes against Humanity (Cambridge, 2005).

1. Introduction; Part I. Varieties of Pacifism: 2. Traditional pacifism; 3. The idea of contingent pacifism; Part II. Human Rights and the Just War: 4. Proportionality, immunity, and human rights; 5. Necessity and the rights of soldiers; 6. Innocence and complicity; Part III. International Law and the Practice of Peace: 7. The United Nations Charter and outlawing war; 8. Human rights law and the right to life during war; 9. International law and post-war justice; Part IV. Conscience and Conscientious Refusal: 10. Conscience, integrity, and morality; 11. Public conscience and civil disobedience; 12. Selective conscientious refusal; 13. Final thoughts and conclusions; Bibliography; Index.