--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The term 'just war' is an internal…" description: "\"The term 'just war' is an internal contradiction. War is inherently unjust, and the great challenge of our time is how to deal with evil, tyranny and o..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2d/howard-zinn-576_challenges_the-term-just-war-is-an-internal-contrad_2460152.jpg" --- # The term 'just war' is an internal contradiction. War is… ![“The term 'just war' is an internal contradiction. War is inherently unjust, and the great challenge of our time is how to deal with evil, tyranny and oppression without killing huge numbers of people.” quote by Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2d/howard-zinn-576_challenges_the-term-just-war-is-an-internal-contrad_2460152.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2d/howard-zinn-576_challenges_the-term-just-war-is-an-internal-contrad_2460152.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e2d/howard-zinn-576_challenges_the-term-just-war-is-an-internal-contrad_2460152.jpg) > “The term 'just war' is an internal contradiction. War is inherently unjust, and the great challenge of our time is how to deal with evil, tyranny and oppression without killing huge numbers of people.” [Howard Zinn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-zinn/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The concept of a ‘just war’ is contradictory because war inherently causes massive harm, prompting a search for non‑violent solutions to oppression. **In simple terms:** War is fundamentally unjust, challenging the idea of a just war. Key Takeaway Seek peaceful alternatives to conflict. Themes ethics war non‑violence Mood thought‑provoking serious Type philosophical activist When to use this quote - policy making - activism - education programs Key Concepts just war theory human rights conflict resolution Questions to Reflect On - Can societies ever justify war morally? - What non‑violent methods can combat oppression? A Different Perspective Non‑violent strategies may be less effective against entrenched tyranny. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Challenges](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/challenges/) [Contradiction](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contradiction/) [Contradiction War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/contradiction-war-646987/) [Deals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/deals/) [Evil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/evil/) [Huge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/huge/) [Huge numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/huge-numbers/) [Internals](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/internals/) [Just war](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/just-war/) [Killing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/killing/) [Numbers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/numbers/) [Oppression](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/oppression/) [Our time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/our-time/) [Peace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/peace/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Term](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term/) [Term Just](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/term-just-646989/) [Tyranny](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tyranny/) [Unjust](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unjust/) [War](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war/) [War Inherently](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-inherently-646986/) [War Internal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/war-internal-646988/) ## Related quotes > [Our poor country is fighting at an extraordinary hard conjuncture of an unparalleled war and internal problems such as we have never seen before,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-guchkov/our-poor-country-is-fighting-at-an-extraordinary-hard-conjuncture-of/) [Alexander Guchkov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-guchkov/) > [“benefit. 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