German theorist Max Weber contrasted an “ethics of conviction” that battles against all injustice with an “ethics of responsibility” that calls for considering the potential results of such battles when weighing moral choices. An ethics of conviction argued that Western military intervention in Libya in 2011, intended to prevent mass atrocities by the barbarous Qadhafi regime, was the morally correct policy. An ethics of responsibility points out that America’s good intentions resulted in disastrous instability that continues to radiate into Africa, the Middle East, and Europe to this day.
These contrasting approaches complicate our calculations in Ukraine. Viewed through the lens of conviction, the correct response to Putin’s invasion seems clear: one does not indulge evil; one fights and defeats it. Viewed through the lens of results, the case for such an uncompromising approach is far less certain.