Civilian noncombatant’s duty to aid a dying enemy combatant

Abstract

Does a civilian noncombatant have a duty to aid a wounded or dying enemy combatant she encounters during war? In general it is accepted that there is a universal duty to aid a person in need in emergent life threatening situations. If you see a child drowning in a pond and you are in a position to easily save her, you are required to do so. You are not permitted to simply continue on your way and let the child drown. However, one might think it odd that a noncombatant has the same duty to save the life of an enemy soldier, given that one of the objectives of war is to kill enemy combatants. This paper examines whether or not noncombatants have a duty to aid injured or dying enemy combatants they encounter during war and discusses on what grounds, if any, the duty is defeated.