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

Instructor: Gabriella Hulsey. This course meets MTWRF 1:15 – 2:45 p.m. via remote synchronous (RS) instruction.

This course will focus primarily on just war theory, the branch of ethics that deals with the questions such as these: Under what circumstances is war morally justified? What are the moral rules that apply in the context of war? Is torture ever morally justified and, if so, when? We will specifically focus on just war theory in the context of colonial and imperial domination. We will consider both historical and contemporary issues that arise at the intersection of war and colonial and imperial domination.

In this course, you will learn how to extrapolate philosophical arguments from written work, how to assess the arguments critically, and how to build your own arguments for ethical positions. This course emphasizes active and thoughtful in-class discussion. All readings will be available on Canvas for free.