Utilitarianism and the Ethics of War
This book offers a detailed utilitarian analysis of the ethical issues involved in war.
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| Anteprima |
Utilitarianism and the Ethics of War
addresses the two basic ethical questions posed by war: when, if ever,
are we morally justified in waging war, and if recourse to arms is
warranted, how are we permitted to fight the wars we wage? In addition,
it deals with the challenge that realism and relativism raise for the
ethical discussion of war, and with the duties of military personnel and
the moral challenges they can face. In tackling these matters, the book
covers a wide range of topics—from pacifism to armed humanitarian
intervention, from the right of national defense to pre-emptive or
preventive war, from civilian immunity to the tenets of just war theory
and the moral underpinnings of the rules of war. But, what is
distinctive about this book is that it provides a consistent and
thorough-going utilitarian or consequentialist treatment of the
fundamental normative issues that war occasions. Although it goes
against the tide of recent work in the field, a utilitarian approach to
the ethics of war illuminates old questions in new ways by showing how a
concern for well-being and the consequences of our actions and policies
shape the moral constraints to which states and other actors must
adhere.
