War is hell. And this is as true for animals as it is for people. Companion animals flee with their humans, or are abandoned; wild animals are caught in crossfire or see their homes destroyed; and farmed animals are sometimes deliberately targeted.
Despite the impact that hostilities can and do have on these forgotten victims, the ethics of war has always remained resolutely human-focused.
Researchers are working to change this by developing an ‘inclusive just war theory’ that emphasises how animals do count, and indeed should be considered in wartime ethics.
War is horrible. It's one of the worst things we do to each other. And animals are also the victims of this.
Dr Josh Milburn
Dr Josh Milburn is a moral and political philosopher. His area of interest is animal ethics, with expertise in what animal rights mean for food and food systems. He is also known for his work about wild animals, animals and warfare, and animals and hate speech. His research asks whether we should – and how we could – include animals in our moral, legal, and political structures.
In his work, Dr Milburn explores where animals fit in moral, legal, and political thought. For example, He has thought a lot about animals and food, authoring two books on the subject: Just Fodder and Food, Justice, and Animals.
Animals and violence is an emerging area of research for Dr Milburn. War is terrible for animals, but they are curiously absent from the work of ethicists who write about conflict. His 2021 paper, co-written with Sara Van Goozen, asked how we could ‘count’ animals in war, while their 2023 paper called for an ‘inclusive’ just war theory.
Dr Milburn's goal is to find a place for animals in the ethics of war and violence. But this is a large project; animals raise important questions across the ethics of war. And this means that giving them their proper place might involve rethinking the ethics of war from the bottom up.
Research in numbers
Frequently, the impact of war on animals is undocumented; we don’t know how many animals militaries recruit as ‘soldiers’, kill as ‘collateral damage’, or displace during invasions. But what we do know paints a grim picture.
Meet the Experts
Political philosophy is an area of strength for Loughborough’s Department of International Relations, Politics, and History.
