The Ethical Imperative of Information: Just War Considerations for Global Information Strategy

C.B. Duncan 

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This article examines the implications of Just War Theory, an ethical framework governing the use of lethal force by governments, for the use of information warfare in the 21st century. The author posits that ethical considerations demand a robust, integrated approach to information operations, both as a means of averting armed conflict and for accomplishing strategic objectives with minimal human harm or suffering. Classical ethics theories are applied to the requirement for and application of information warfare in the modern context.

Introduction

Navigating the ethical challenges of competition and warfare in the 21st century is daunting at best and treacherous at worst. Warfighters and policymakers must leverage creative and unconventional approaches to navigate a complex environment rife with threats. America, which for decades has served as the de facto guarantor of the current international order, has an ethical obligation to respond to each of these threats, both for the good of its own citizens and for the good of the entire world. Doing so, however, is akin to walking a minefield blindfolded; one strategic move in the wrong direction could have second- or third-order effects that send nukes flying or innocent civilians to their graves. It is imperative that the United States and its allies pursue ethical means of dealing with threats to stability in the modern era, especially in ways that lie below the threshold of all-out war. In this context, gray-zone tactics like information warfare present a valuable ethical tool to address the actors seeking to undermine a secure global environment. By adhering to Just War theory principles, the U.S. can ethically leverage information as a soft-power tool to pursue the common good while avoiding the destruction brought on by full-scale military conflict.

Just War Considerations in the Modern Era

Just War theory, first outlined by Augustine of Hippo in the sixth century and further developed by the philosopher-theologian Thomas Aquinas in the Summa Theologiae, provides a framework to evaluate the morality of the use of deadly force as a tool of statecraft. The principles of Just War theory have long informed discussion as to whether a nation or other entity can ethically engage in war, even in the modern era.