Course Overview
Recent events on the world stage, along with Canada's somewhat ambivalent attitude toward its own role in armed intervention have sparked renewed interest in the legality of specific wars and in the ethics of warfare generally. This course considers whether there is any defensible basis for applying legal and ethical standards to armed conflict among and within nations.
Prerequisite(s)
- BCIT ENGL 1177, or 6 credits BCIT Communication at 1100-level or above, or 3 credits of a university/college first-year social science or humanities course.
Credits
3.0
Domestic fees
$780.51
International fees are typically 3.4 times the domestic tuition. Exact cost will be calculated upon completion of registration.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion of this course, the student will be able to:
- Apply cross-disciplinary methods and concepts in course assignments and discussions.
- Critically read and assess material from disciplines, genres, and eras other than those normally encountered in his/her BCIT technology program.
- Compare traditional and contemporary approaches to past and current controversies presented in the course.
- Produce paragraph-based, essay-based and/or oral presentations that evaluate aspects of the course material.
- Produce written and oral arguments that demonstrate skills in critical thinking, reading, and writing.
- Apply course concepts and skills to his/her intellectual, civic and professional life outside the classroom.
- Explain the principled differences between pacifism, realism and just war theory.
- Assess the merit of the realist critique of pacifism.
- Assess the merit of the realist critique of just war theory.
- Judge the effectiveness of the replies to the realist challenge.
- Assess the pacifist critique of just war theory.
- Judge the effectiveness of the replies to the pacifist critique of just war theory.
- Explain the nature of just cause, with respect to jus ad bellum.
- Judge the proper scope of concepts such as right intention, proper authority, last resort and proportionality, with respect to jus ad bellum.
- Explain the nature of jus in bello, in both its internal and external forms.
- Explain the principle of non-combatant immunity.
- Explain the proportionality rule, with respect to jus in bello.
- Interpret and apply rules of jus in bello to cases of historical significance.
- Explain the nature of jus post bellum, with reference to peace settlements, rights restoration, rehabilitation, restitution and punishment for war crimes.
- Apply the rules of jus post bellum to the current occupation of Iraq.
- Assess the status of the International Court of Justice at the Hague, in terms of legitimacy and efficacy.
- Establish the priority among principles and laws when these are seen to conflict in particular cases.
- Employ three modes of judicial reasoning: reasoning from interpretive guidelines, reasoning from prior cases, reasoning from principle.
Effective as of Fall 2009
Related Programs
War, Peace and Justice (LIBS 7011) is offered as a part of the following programs:
- Indicates programs accepting international students.
- Indicates programs eligible for students to apply for Post-graduation Work Permit (PGWP).
School of Business + Media
- Accounting
Bachelor of Accounting Full-time/Part-time
- Bachelor of Business Administration
Bachelor of Business Administration Full-time/Part-time
Course Offerings
Fall 2026
Below is one offering of LIBS 7011 for the Fall 2026 term.
CRN 38522
Dates
Sep 08 - Dec 11 Loading
- CRN 38522
- $780.51 Domestic fees
Class meeting times
Duration
15 weeks
Instructor
Maira de Cinque
Course outline
Course outline TBD — see Learning Outcomes in the interim.
Important information
- Important course information will be sent to you prior to your course start date. Check your myBCIT email account to access this information.
- *(A)* This is NOT a SELF-PACED course. There will be specific timelines for assignments and exams. Course content, kind and quality of assignments and general standards for this online course are the same as classroom courses. You will have discussions and assignments to complete each week (although you do NOT have to be online at a particular time or day). *(B)* FINAL EXAMS: Final exams will be held IN-PERSON on the Burnaby campus in the last week of the course. If you live outside the Lower Mainland area you will be required to have an approved proctor administer the exam. You are directly responsible for any invigilation fees and related costs.
Confirmation
Required
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Status
If you have any questions about this course, please contact us.
Programs and courses are subject to change without notice. Find out more about BCIT course cancellations.