--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A \"just war\" is hospitable to every…" description: "\"A \"just war\" is hospitable to every self-deception on the part of those waging it, none more than the certainty of virtue, under whose shelter every ab..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/176/alexander-cockburn-21664_abomination_a-just-war-is-hospitable-to-every-self-d_359479.jpg" --- # A "just war" is hospitable to every self-deception on the… ![“A "just war" is hospitable to every self-deception on the part of those waging it, none more than the certainty of virtue, under whose shelter every abomination can be committed with a clear conscience.” quote by Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/176/alexander-cockburn-21664_abomination_a-just-war-is-hospitable-to-every-self-d_359479.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/176/alexander-cockburn-21664_abomination_a-just-war-is-hospitable-to-every-self-d_359479.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/176/alexander-cockburn-21664_abomination_a-just-war-is-hospitable-to-every-self-d_359479.jpg) > “A "just war" is hospitable to every self-deception on the part of those waging it, none more than the certainty of virtue, under whose shelter every abomination can be committed with a clear conscience.” [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. War is often rationalized by moral certainty, allowing atrocities to be justified as virtuous acts. **In simple terms:** Moral certainty hides war crimes. Key Takeaway Question war motives. Themes ethics war self-deception Mood critical reflective Type philosophical political When to use this quote - political analysis - military decision making - public discourse Key Concepts moral psychology just war theory Questions to Reflect On - How does moral certainty influence war decisions? - What checks can prevent self-deception in conflict? A Different Perspective War justification can ignore real harm. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Abomination](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abomination/) [Antiwar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/antiwar/) [Certainty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty/) [Certainty Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/certainty-virtue-3302425/) [Clear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clear/) [Clear conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/clear-conscience/) [Committed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/committed/) [Conscience](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/conscience/) [Deception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deception/) [Hospitable Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hospitable-self-3302426/) [Just war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-war/) [Self](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self/) [Self deception](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/self-deception/) [Shelter](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/shelter/) [Virtue](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/virtue/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Hospitable](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-hospitable-3302424/) ## Related quotes > [Perhaps the greatest contribution that those of us who come from a Christian tradition can make is to throw out the old just-war theory,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mairead-corrigan/perhaps-the-greatest-contribution-that-those-of-us-who-come-from-a/) [Mairead Corrigan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mairead-corrigan/) > [Our brave men and women have made many sacrifices in just wars to defeat the forces of evil. We have exported our greatest values:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marco-rubio/our-brave-men-and-women-have-made-many-sacrifices-in-just-wars-to/) [Marco Rubio](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marco-rubio/) > [War's tragedy is that it uses man's best to do man's worst.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-emerson-fosdick/war-s-tragedy-is-that-it-uses-man-s-best-to-do-man-s-worst/) [Harry Emerson Fosdick](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/harry-emerson-fosdick/) > [Now, myself, I'm not a pacifist at all. I believe in just war. I would have joined the spirit of the nation to fight…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/now-myself-i-m-not-a-pacifist-at-all-i-believe-in-just-war-i-would/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [Bismarck fought 'necessary' wars and killed thousands, the idealists of the twentieth century fight 'just' wars and kill millions.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/bismarck-fought-necessary-wars-and-killed-thousands-the-idealists-of/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [We give up leisure in order that we may have leisure, just as we go to war in order that we may have peace.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aristotle/we-give-up-leisure-in-order-that-we-may-have-leisure-just-as-we-go-to/) [Aristotle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aristotle/) > [I'm not a pacifist at all; I think there is a notion of "just war" that can be persuasively argued. I think in the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/cornel-west/i-m-not-a-pacifist-at-all-i-think-there-is-a-notion-of-just-war-that/) [Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/cornel-west/) > [World War II made war reputable because it was a just war. I wouldn't have missed it for anything. You know how many other…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/world-war-ii-made-war-reputable-because-it-was-a-just-war-i-wouldn-t/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [“I hated war. Who cared, after all, which side won? The only important thing was to end it all soon as possible: rather an…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/masuji-ibuse/i-hated-war-who-cared-after-all-which-side-won-the-only-important/) [Masuji Ibuse](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/masuji-ibuse/) > [Again, in Wag the Dog, war has to be declared by an act of congress. But if you go to war, you don't have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/val-kilmer/again-in-wag-the-dog-war-has-to-be-declared-by-an-act-of-congress-but/) [Val Kilmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/val-kilmer/) > [An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kurt-vonnegut/an-eye-for-an-eye-and-a-tooth-for-a-tooth/) [Kurt Vonnegut](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kurt-vonnegut/) > [Wars results in immediate deaths and destruction, but the environmental consequences can last hundreds, often thousands of years. And it is not just war…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rosalie-bertell/wars-results-in-immediate-deaths-and-destruction-but-the/) [Rosalie Bertell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rosalie-bertell/) > [A just war is in the long run far better for a man's soul than the most prosperous peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/theodore-roosevelt/a-just-war-is-in-the-long-run-far-better-for-a-man-s-soul-than-the/) [Theodore Roosevelt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/theodore-roosevelt/) > [Just as war is the natural consequence of monopoly, peace is the natural consequence of liberty.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gustave-de-molinari/just-as-war-is-the-natural-consequence-of-monopoly-peace-is-the/) [Gustave de Molinari](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gustave-de-molinari/) > [ “There has never been a just \[war\], never an honorable one--on the part of the instigator of the war. I can see a million… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-twain/there-has-never-been-a-just-war-never-an-honorable-one-on-the-part-of/) [Mark Twain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-twain/) ## More by Alexander Cockburn > [There is still zero empirical evidence that anthropogenic production of CO2 is making any measurable contribution to the world's present warming trend.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/there-is-still-zero-empirical-evidence-that-anthropogenic-production/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [There's a whole journalistic-industrial complex dedicated to keeping newsprint, TV screens and radio waves clean of destabilizing scoops damaging to corporations or the state.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/there-s-a-whole-journalistic-industrial-complex-dedicated-to-keeping/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [Regulation of sexual behavior is the preferred route to wider social control.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/regulation-of-sexual-behavior-is-the-preferred-route-to-wider-social/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [The travel writer seeks the world we have lost - the lost valleys of the imagination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/the-travel-writer-seeks-the-world-we-have-lost-the-lost-valleys-of/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [They keep telling us that in war truth is the first casualty, which is nonsense since it implies that in times of peace truth…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/they-keep-telling-us-that-in-war-truth-is-the-first-casualty-which-is/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [No foundation that I am aware of has hired ex-journalists to promote a thoroughgoing inquiry.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/no-foundation-that-i-am-aware-of-has-hired-ex-journalists-to-promote/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [There is never finality in the display terminal's screen, but an irresponsible whimsicality, as words, sentences, and paragraphs are negated at the touch of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/there-is-never-finality-in-the-display-terminal-s-screen-but-an/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [By 1967, J. Edgar Hoover had concluded that the Black Panther Party had replaced the Communist Party as the gravest threat to national security.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/by-1967-j-edgar-hoover-had-concluded-that-the-black-panther-party-had/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [Republicans know well that a change of rhetorical pace is necessary. But efforts by their leaders to damp down the bellicosity of newly elected…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/republicans-know-well-that-a-change-of-rhetorical-pace-is-necessary/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [A childish soul not inoculated with compulsory prayer is a soul open to any religious infection.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/a-childish-soul-not-inoculated-with-compulsory-prayer-is-a-soul-open/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [In its attempt to crush the Black Panthers, the FBI engineered frequent arrests on the flimsiest of pretexts.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/in-its-attempt-to-crush-the-black-panthers-the-fbi-engineered/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [Nothing can inspire religious duty or animation but religion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/nothing-can-inspire-religious-duty-or-animation-but-religion/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [The art of politics is to separate actions from consequences](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/the-art-of-politics-is-to-separate-actions-from-consequences/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [Despair is the central part of the psychopathology. For the handmaiden of gossip is treachery:](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/despair-is-the-central-part-of-the-psychopathology-for-the-handmaiden/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) > [Pose a political threat to Business As Usual, and sooner or later, mostly sooner, someone will try to kill you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/pose-a-political-threat-to-business-as-usual-and-sooner-or-later/) [Alexander Cockburn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) [Explore all 28 Alexander Cockburn quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/) ## More Abomination quotes > [“The fascination of the abomination—you know.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/the-fascination-of-the-abomination-you-know/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [The history of woman is the history of the continued and universal oppression of one sex by the other. The emancipation of woman is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tennessee-celeste-claflin/the-history-of-woman-is-the-history-of-the-continued-and-universal/) [Tennessee Celeste Claflin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tennessee-celeste-claflin/) > [I foresee that man will resign himself each day to new abominations, and soon that only bandits and soldiers will be left.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jorge-luis-borges/i-foresee-that-man-will-resign-himself-each-day-to-new-abominations/) [Jorge Luis Borges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jorge-luis-borges/) > [He has to live in the midst of the incomprehensible, which is detestable. And it has a fascination, too, which goes to work upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/joseph-conrad/he-has-to-live-in-the-midst-of-the-incomprehensible-which-is/) [Joseph Conrad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/joseph-conrad/) > [An unholy church! It is useless to the world, and of no esteem among men. It is an abomination, hells laughter, heavens abhorrence. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-spurgeon/an-unholy-church-it-is-useless-to-the-world-and-of-no-esteem-among/) [Charles Spurgeon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-spurgeon/) > [Tomato and lettuce-especially lettuce-is an abomination.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mimi-sheraton/tomato-and-lettuce-especially-lettuce-is-an-abomination/) [Mimi Sheraton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mimi-sheraton/) > [I do nothing I regret, man, because I try to do nothing abominable. As long as there is not an abomination, there is nothing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/peter-tosh/i-do-nothing-i-regret-man-because-i-try-to-do-nothing-abominable-as/) [Peter Tosh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/peter-tosh/) > [DEAL is a most villainous place. It is full of filthy-looking people.Great desolationof abomination has beengoing on here.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-cobbett/deal-is-a-most-villainous-place-it-is-full-of-filthy-looking-people/) [William Cobbett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-cobbett/) > [Doing abominations is against the law, particularly if the abominations are done while wearing a lobster bib.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/woody-allen/doing-abominations-is-against-the-law-particularly-if-the/) [Woody Allen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/woody-allen/) > [The Mass is the greatest blasphemy of God, and the highest idolatry upon earth, an abomination the like of which has never been in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-luther/the-mass-is-the-greatest-blasphemy-of-god-and-the-highest-idolatry/) [Martin Luther](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-luther/) > [Social mores change with time, like fashion - who knows where it might all end up? I especially like the idea that waste, impoliteness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jasper-fforde/social-mores-change-with-time-like-fashion-who-knows-where-it-might/) [Jasper Fforde](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jasper-fforde/) > [The efforts on the parts of Eastern magazine writers to educate the people of the United States, particularly parents, to the doctrine that they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-f-richards/the-efforts-on-the-parts-of-eastern-magazine-writers-to-educate-the/) [George F. Richards](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-f-richards/) > [“Latin is an abomination!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lew-wallace/latin-is-an-abomination/) [Lew Wallace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lew-wallace/) > [“Don't you call me ‘Dad.’ You are no son of mine. I wouldn't father an abomination. You”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nat-kozinn/don-t-you-call-me-dad-you-are-no-son-of-mine-i-wouldn-t-father-an/) [Nat Kozinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nat-kozinn/) > [“Embrace Your Abomination!" - in regards to religious zealots constantly calling gays an abomination.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rickey-russell/embrace-your-abomination-in-regards-to-religious-zealots-constantly/) [Rickey Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rickey-russell/) [Browse all 107 Abomination quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/abomination/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A \"just war\" is hospitable to every self-deception on the part of those waging it, none more than the certainty of virtue, under whose shelter every abomination can be committed with a clear conscience.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Alexander Cockburn" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/a-just-war-is-hospitable-to-every-self-deception-on-the-part-of-those/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Abomination" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/a-just-war-is-hospitable-to-every-self-deception-on-the-part-of-those/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/176/alexander-cockburn-21664_abomination_a-just-war-is-hospitable-to-every-self-d_359479.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/176/alexander-cockburn-21664_abomination_a-just-war-is-hospitable-to-every-self-d_359479.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/176/alexander-cockburn-21664_abomination_a-just-war-is-hospitable-to-every-self-d_359479.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A \"just war\" is hospitable to every self-deception on the part of those waging it, none more than the…” — Alexander Cockburn", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Alexander Cockburn", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-cockburn/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A \"just war\" is hospitable to...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/a-just-war-is-hospitable-to-every-self-deception-on-the-part-of-those/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-cockburn/a-just-war-is-hospitable-to-every-self-deception-on-the-part-of-those/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```