The just war doctrine encourages resort to war  The just war doctrine establishes a framework for leaders to justify the resort to force in any given situation whereby they can find ostensible evidence for all the necessary criteria. It, in other words, leaves war on the table constantly as an option; diplomatic negotiations and bargaining must succeed with the constant shadow of war looming as not only a realistic eventuality, but an eventuality that could potentially be deemed ‘just’ by either side. Any such doctrine therefore renders the resort to war as far too permissive, and encourages the false presumptions of aggressive states that their motives are not only self-serving but legitimate.