2018-2019 Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
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ETH 236 - Ethics and Warfare Instructor
Perry
This course examines key philosophical and religious concepts in the history of moral deliberations about war, modern analyses of the diverse and sometimes conflicting moral principles that those traditions have bequeathed to us, and theories about why human beings engage in mass killing. Students will develop an appreciation for the richness of ethical thinking about war, and enhance their skills in applying moral philosophical reasoning to contemporary wars. Questions that will be tackled in readings, class discussions and exams include: Do people have a right not to be killed? Is that right absolute, or not? If it’s an absolute right, how can war ever be justified? If that right is not absolute, can we nonetheless establish sensible limits on when and how war may be waged? Can we clearly distinguish between combatants and noncombatants? If so, may noncombatants ever be directly targeted in war? If not, may they be threatened in order to deter attacks against us? Or is that equivalent to terrorism? What’s the right way to balance risks to noncombatants vs. risks to our troops?
Students entering 2012 and after: satisfies the Philosophical and Religious Perspectives requirement.
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