The Ethics Of War And Peace

This book presents a clear and comprehensive introduction to the diverse and wide-ranging ethical aspects of war and peace. In a fair-minded and engaging analysis, Nigel Dower introduces the different ethical theories in traditional and contemporary debates realism, just war theory and pacifism and subjects each to detailed critical scrutiny. He frames these debates within a related but distinct framework of three approaches to international relations, namely skeptical realism, internationalism and cosmopolitanism. The book also identifies and evaluates two further important perspectives, militarism and pacificism. Whilst analyzing the advantages and disadvantages of the different outlooks, Dower makes a strong case for a cosmopolitan pacificist position, arguing that we need to see peace in more positive terms than merely the absence of war. The book uses a wide range of examples from across the world and includes discussion of nuclear weapons, new wars, terrorism, humanitarian intervention and human security.





Written as a textbook for students who have no prior knowledge of philosophical ethics, The Ethics of War and Peace is designed to help students understand and see the relevance of how a professional philosopher can engage ethically with the world. Each chapter contains a helpful survey of its contents at the beginning and a set of questions for individual reflection or group discussion at the end.





This book will be essential reading for students of security studies, conflict resolution, peace studies, philosophy and political theory and anyone interested in the ethical questions which arise from the study of war and peace.

* A clear and comprehensive introduction to the diverse and wide-ranging perspectives in the ethics of war and peace * Provides a fair-minded and engaging analysis of the different ethical theories in traditional and contemporary debates * Makes a strong case for a cosmopolitan pacifist position, arguing that we need to see peace in more positive terms than merely the absence of war * Uses a wide range of examples from across the world and includes discussion of nuclear weapons, new wars, terrorism, humanitarian intervention and human security * Each chapter contains a helpful survey of its contents at the beginning and a set of questions for individual reflection or group discussion at the end

Nigel Dower is Honorary Senior Lecturer at the University of Aberdeen.

* Contents * Preface * Chapter 1: The Ethics of War and Peace: Preliminary Considerations * Introduction * What are War and Peace? * Classifications in the Ethics of War * Approaches to the Ethics of International Relations * The Three Traditional Approaches to the Ethics of War * Cosmopolitan Approaches * Two further Considerations concerning the Nature of Ethical Analysis * Survey of War/Peace Issues in the Modern Era * The Plan for the Rest of the Book * Chapter 2: Realism and Militarism * The Realist View of War * Sources of the Realist Approach * Militarism * Critique of Realism * Critique of Militarism * Chapter 3: Internationalism and Cosmopolitanism * Internationalism * Cosmopolitanism * Cosmopolitanism and Internationalism: some Contrasts * Further Considerations: Justifications of Internationalism * Further Considerations: Justifications of Cosmopolitanism * Chapter 4: The Justification of War * Just War and Tradition * Ius ad Bellum: more detailed Analysis and Justifications * What are the Issues raised by Ius in Bello? * A Note on Internationalism and Cosmopolitanism * Objections * Chapter 5: Pacifism, Nonviolence and the Way of Peace * Introduction * Nonviolence * Pacifism * The Way of Peace * Chapter 6: Peace and Pacificism * Peace * Pacificism * Criticisms of Pacificism * Chapter 7: Modern Issues * Nuclear War and Deterrence * Contemporary Wars * Terrorism * Humanitarian Intervention * Security and Human Security * Conclusion * The Main Goals of the Book * Religion, War and Peace * The Future * Bibliography