War and Ethics

Nicholas Fotion is Professor of Philosophy at Emory University, USA. He has published widely on the ethics of military action. He is also author of John Searle in Acumen's Philosopher Now series.

• 1. Introduction; 2. Just War Theory; 3. Objections to Just War Theory; 4. Easy Cases; 5. Harder Cases; 6. Multiple Reasons; 7. More Problems for Just War Theory; 8. Prevention; 9. Two Just War Theories; 10. Problems with Just War Theory I; 11. Problems with Just War Theory II; 12. Closing Thoughts; Bibliography.

‘[This book] wrestles with one of the most compelling moral issues of this beginning century ... As always, Professor Fotion writes with conspicuous clarity in examining moral questions. Readers may not agree with some of his analyses and conclusions, but they will have no doubt about his position and his reasons for holding it. His compelling case studies demonstrate both the content of and the process of applying moral constraints on war. He shows us that the way a civilized society fights for survival not only determines whether it wins or loses, but also plays a major role in shaping its future when it wins, an obvious fact frequently forgotten in the urgency of armed conflict'. Colonel Anthony E. Hartle, Professor of Ethics at West Point, USA