The doctrine of self-defense allows that otherwise criminal force can be justified so long as the actor reasonably believes its use necessary to protect against imminent and unlawful attack. Supposing that the force is necessary to dispel the attack, why the further requirement that the attack is imminent? The restriction precludes the use of force which, ex hypothesi, is the only way that the actor could defend himself. This Article surveys and critiques the rationale for the imminence requirement, arguing that it should be jettisoned in favor of a more expansive conception of self-defense. While the focus is on domestic law, the paper concludes by gesturing towards implications for international law as well, particularly with regards to preventive war (i.e., war against non-imminent threats).

中文翻译：

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迫在眉睫的自卫

自卫原则允许，只要行为者合理地相信它的使用是必要的，以防止迫在眉睫的非法攻击，否则犯罪武力就可以被证明是正当的。假设必须用武力驱散攻击，为什么还要要求攻击迫在眉睫？该限制排除了使用武力，根据假设，武力是行为者为自己辩护的唯一方式。本文调查并批评了紧急性要求的基本原理，认为应该放弃它，转而支持更广泛的自卫概念。虽然重点是国内法，但本文最后指出了对国际法的影响，尤其是在预防性战争（即针对非迫在眉睫的威胁的战争）方面。