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Part I Introduction, Introduction: International Law and the Problem of War

Marc Weller

From: The Oxford Handbook of the Use of Force in International Law

Edited By: Marc Weller

From: Oxford Public International Law (http://opil.ouplaw.com). (c) Oxford University Press, 2023. All Rights Reserved.date: 03 October 2023

Subject(s):
Armed conflict, international — Propaganda for war — Self-defence — Terrorism — Terrorism, financing — Treaty provisions — Armed conflict, non-international — Weapons, nuclear — Gravity of offences — International peace and security — Armed forces — Military assistance — Armed attack
Homo homini lupus—man is mankind’s wolf. This claim, put forward by Maccius Plautus in his comedy Asinaria of 195 bc, has struck a chord throughout the millennia. For it reflects what many regard as a universal and eternal truth: the greatest danger faced by humankind lies in our own predatory instincts. Life would be stable and secure for all, if only we could tame that inner wolf bent on aggression against its own kind. Hence, throughout history, humankind has decried the suffering brought about by war, and called for eternal peace, while plaintively accepting...
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