PHIL/POLI/PWAD 272.001 – The Ethics of Peace, War, and Defense

Instructor: Chris Melenovsky. This course meets TR 3:30 – 4:45 p.m. in DE 305.

Is the moral law silent in a time of war? What limitations are appropriate for how a government defends its people from an external threat? In this class, we will examine these questions and other moral challenges involving the use of military force. The class starts with the basics of traditional just war theory before focusing on contemporary issues such as drone warfare, cyberwarfare, terrorism, and surveillance. Our primary concern is not to understand the history and politics of how governments have acted, but we will use a number of real examples to clarify our conviction on how governments should act.