PHIL/POLI/PWAD 272.002 – The Ethics of Peace, War, and Defense

Instructor: Chris Blake-Turner. This course meets MTWRF 1:15 p.m. – 2:45 p.m. in CW 103.

This course focuses on ethical issues relating to war. The topics covered include: The permissibility of going to war. What is allowed during a war. The obligations, if there are any, that the parties to a war have after its conclusion. The relationship between waging war and self-defense. The implications of modern technologies, such as drones, for the ethics of war. The ethics of combatting terrorism. These are some of the cutting edge problems being pursued in contemporary just war theory. We will engage with some of the leading thinkers shaping these debates.

As well as gaining an understanding of some of these crucial topics and the moral theory underpinning them, this course will develop students’ skills of reading text, analyzing arguments, participating in respectful debate, and articulating their own thoughts in writing. Moreover, the hope is that students will critically reflect not only on the material covered, but also on their own commitments and values.