Introduction

The Ethics of War

War has always been a feature of human history. It is reviled as one of the great evils of which we are capable as a species, but often also commemorated and recounted as honourable and just. War raises many difficult moral questions, and this sample course aims to consider a few of them. Is warfare susceptible to moral analysis? If so, under what conditions is war justifiable given the human suffering it inevitably inflicts? If the cause of a war is just, why should we limit the means by which victory is pursued? What changes have recent international conflicts brought to the study and moral evaluation of warfare? By the end of this course you will be familiar with the main theories in the ethics of war, as well as the new and old questions that continue to fuel debate.

Introduction

Introduces the three main theories relating to the Ethics of War: Pacifism, Realism, and Just War Theory