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

Instructor: Matt Hernandez. This course meets MTWRF 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. in CW 105.

This course serves as an introduction to the ethical theorizing about conflict in contexts of war and our everyday lives. We will begin by considering the ethics of pacifism before moving on to just war theory. From there, we will consider various topics like the conditions for permissible self-defense, what we owe to refugees, the ethical dimensions of terrorism, and so on. I will aim to give you the relevant tools and concepts to think through these issues, evaluate arguments for and against military intervention, and come to considered and educated opinions about these topics.