KEY FEATURES OF THE CONCEPT OF “JUST WAR” IN 19TH-CENTURY PHILOSOPHY

Abstract

This article explores the transformation of the concept of «just war» in 19th-century philosophy. It demonstrates how, in the age of modernization, the secularization of morality, and political emancipation, war was reinterpreted not only as an ethical phenomenon, but also as a social, legal, and historical one. The author analyzes the views of representatives of classical German idealism (I. Kant, G. W. F. Hegel), positivism (A. Comte, J. S. Mill), socialism (K. Marx, P.-J. Proudhon), and early existentialism (S. Kierkegaard), identifying key moral and legal criteria of just war: defensiveness, legitimacy, historical necessity, ethics of liberation, and civilizational justification. Particular attention is paid to the influence of the Napoleonic Wars, the revolutions of 1848, and colonial campaigns on philosophical debates. The author argues that the 19th century marked a period of deep ideological and methodological polarization that led to the emergence of a new paradigm of justice in warfare. The novelty of the study lies in its systematic analysis of the shifts in philosophical discourse on war under the influence of ideological, legal, and historical factors of the 19th century. The concept of “just war” is interpreted as a dynamic construct that reflects the tension between morality, historical development, and the political practice of modernity.