Description

This course examines theories about why human beings engage in mass killing, the history of moral deliberation about war in major religious traditions, and modern philosophical analyses of the diverse moral principles that those traditions have bequeathed to us. The course comprises three broad ethical questions. First when, if ever, is recourse to arms legitimate (jus ad bellum)? Second, what constraints should apply to military conduct (jus in bellos)? And third, how should wars end (jus post bellum)? These three questions will be systematically discussed by critically examining a selection of writings by historical and modern secular and religious thinkers.