When the principles of just war were formulated by St. Augustine and later by St. Thomas Aquinas, war looked very different than it does today, and so it is fair to ask whether or not those principles are even applicable to today's warfare. The Church, while promoting the avoidance of war, has firmly upheld the right of self-defense. Nevertheless, the question stands: Is it possible that the character or conditions of war could change in such a way so as to make a just war impossible, and therefore, render war no longer a suitable means of self-defense?
