To Adrian’s argument Vitoria answers with a balancing of risks: “If subjects fail to obey their prince in war from scruples of doubt, they run the risk of betraying the commonwealth into the hands of the enemy, which is much worse than fighting the enemy, doubts notwithstanding.”37 He interestingly compares the case with other standard cases of action under uncertainty: an officer of the law must carry out the judge’s sentence, even if he doubts its justice.
