Nations
The term 'War' generally refers to an armed conflict between nations. The ethics surrounding war focusses on the declaration of war, and how the war is fought. However, the definition of war has become increasingly problematic.
For example, the term 'War on terror' has stretched the traditional definition. Rather than talking about nations, some would have us include groups such as Al Qaeda.
Proper Authority
The existence of the United Nations also affects the way we talk about war. The Just War criteria talks about 'proper authority'. In the past, this has referred to the ruling authority of a nation state. Now many people think that wars should only happen with UN approval. This is contentious, and the way we define 'proper authority' influences the ethical decisions we will make.
Innocents
The Just War Theory says that innocent people should not be targetted. However, military leaders have long sought to include a very narrow definition of 'innocents'. If you work in a munitions factory, are you innocent? If you are a farmer who makes food to feed soldiers, are you innocent? Is a primary school teacher contributing to the war effort by training the next generation of soldiers? Various alternative definitions have been used, such as non-combatants, but no agreement is reached. This may be because many military leaders believe that the end justifies the means, and that it is actually acceptable to target innocent people if it means the war will end sooner. This conflicts with the Just War criteria, and therefore it may be more politic to redefine the term 'innocent'.
