The renowned philosopher discusses the theories used throughout history to justify war or attempt to overcome it. A work of great importance and coherence, extremely timely today.

In the immediate aftermath of the Cuban Missile Crisis, which brought the planet to the brink of nuclear war, Norberto Bobbio developed his famous argument on the impossibility of justifying war at a time when the use of such powerful weapons risked jeopardising the very survival of humanity. In 1964, Norberto Bobbio decided to devote his lectures in the Philosophy of Law to the subject of war and peace, explaining and discussing the various theories that have been used throughout history to justify war and the various pacifist movements that have tried to overcome them, highlighting their arguments, inconsistencies, strengths and weaknesses. Never before published except as lithographed handouts edited by two students, this book collects these lectures for the first time and is destined to become an essential part of the contemporary debate.