Ethics and Nuclear Arms

Ethics and Nuclear Arms
Author: Edward R. Norman
Publisher: University Press of America
Total Pages: 154
Release: 1985
Genre: History
ISBN:

In these 10 essays, 5 European and 5 American political and religious leaders examine the ethics of possessing and using nuclear weapons. They appraise the policy of nuclear deterrence. Protestant and Catholic viewpoints are represented. There are disagreements on details and differences in emphasis on positions and policies. There is general agreement on the moral legitimacy and political necessity of the Western alliance. Essay and authors are: "Four Decades with Nuclear Arms" (Stephen Haseler); "Toward a Responsible Policy" (Sven F. Kraemer); "War and Peace in the Nuclear Age" (Erwin Wilkens); "A Crisis of Faith" (Richard John Neuhaus); "The German Churches Speak Out" (Wolfhart Pannenberg); "The U.S. Catholic Bishops and Nuclear Arms" (J. Bryan Hehir); "The U.S. Catholic Bishops and Soviet Reality" (Michael Novak); "Nuclear Pacifism and True Peace" (Frans A.M. Alting von Geusau); "NATO and 'First Use'" (Robert A. Gessert); "Christian Morality and Nuclear Arms" (Edward R. Norman). A bibliography is included. (JP)

Ethics and Nuclear Deterrence

Ethics and Nuclear Deterrence
Author: Geoffrey Goodwin
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2020-11-19
Genre: History
ISBN: 1000199320

As nuclear weapons become ever more sophisticated, so the deterrence debate becomes increasingly complex. The ‘Ban the Bomb’ slogans of the 1950s had been replaced by cries for ‘nuclear-free zones’, and talk of ‘megatonnage’ and ‘fallout’ had given way to talk of ‘tactical’ nuclear weapons and ‘limited strike capability’. Originally published in 1982, this book considers the ethical issues raised by nuclear policies and by the debate between proponents of the multilateralist/unilateralist approaches to disarmament and arms control at the time. It is not, like so many books on the subject, an ideological statement: there are essays by defence strategists which put the case for deterrence and essays by academics and churchmen which strenuously oppose it. The book also includes an essay on attempts to mitigate the appalling brutality of the many ‘conventional’ wars since 1945. At a time when the rhetoric and misinformation produced on both sides of the debate continued to obscure many vital issues, this book was welcome, sensible and necessary.

The Ethics of Nuclear Weapons Dissemination

The Ethics of Nuclear Weapons Dissemination
Author: Thomas E. Doyle, II
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 202
Release: 2015-02-11
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1136229485

This book examines the moral dilemmas of nuclear dissemination, and the justifications of both nuclear pursuit and avoidance by contemporary states. Applying Constructivist methodologies and moral theory, the author analyses a core set of moral dilemmas that ensnare decision-makers amongst state and non-state nuclear aspirants, as well as amongst states committed to preventing horizontal proliferation. The book shows that the character, structure and implications of these dilemmas have not yet been adequately understood or appreciated, and that such an understanding is necessary for an effective set of nonproliferation policies. Furthermore, it shows that the dilemmas’ force and political policy import are evident in the 'discourses' that diverse actors undertake to defend their nuclear choices, and how the dilemmas of nuclear aspirants are implicated in those of nuclear preventers. The author advocates a number of policy recommendations that reinforce some already made by scholars and experts but, more importantly, others that advise significantly different courses of action. The book reveals how the moral dilemmas of nuclear aspiration, avoidance, and prevention constitute the security dilemmas and paradoxes that comprise much of the 21st century security environment. This book will be of much interest to students of nuclear proliferation, international relations, ethics, and international security studies.

Nuclear Ethics in the Twenty-First Century

Nuclear Ethics in the Twenty-First Century
Author: Thomas E. Doyle, II
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 220
Release: 2020-01-31
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 1442276614

This book relates a complex ethical (re)assessment of the continued reliance by some states on nuclear weapons as instruments of state power. This (re)assessment is more urgent considering the relatively recent intensification of great power conflict dynamics and the nuclear-weapon states’ recommitments to modernizing, augmenting, or tailoring their nuclear forces to address vital state and alliance interests. And, especially since the beginning of the administration of U.S. President Donald J. Trump, these recommitments have accelerated the degree to which the political and moral dilemmas of (the threat of) nuclear use define and intensify existential risks for specific states and the international community at large. To execute this (re)assessment, this book details how strategic, political, legal, and moral reasoning are deeply intertwined on the questions of vital state and global values. Its ontological assumptions are taken from a broadly construed IR Constructivist stance, and its epistemological approach applies non-ideal moral principles informed by Kantian thought to selected problems of nuclear-armed security competition as they evolved since President Barack Obama’s 2009 Prague Declaration. This non-ideal moral approach employed is committed to the view that the dual imperatives of humanity’s survival and the common security of states requires an international order which privileges considerations of justice over power-political considerations. This non-ideal moral approach is a necessary element of theorizing a set of practices to effectively address the challenges and dilemmas of reordering international politics in terms of justice.

Morality and the Bomb

Morality and the Bomb
Author: David Fisher
Publisher: Routledge
Total Pages: 186
Release: 2020-07-20
Genre: Philosophy
ISBN: 1000047547

Originally published in 1985, this book surveys how NATO policy sought to come to terms with the revolution in thinking about war which was brought about by the advent of nuclear weapons. It also examines the logic of deterrence. The book assesses the ethical issues involved, using as a framework the tradition of the idea of the Just War. A detailed modern version of the theory is elaborated and defended from an ethical viewpoint that gives due weight both to the mental states of the agent and to the consequences of his agency. The principle of non-combatant immunity is also examined for its clear relevance to the debate. Further considerations involve the effectiveness of deterrence and its morality, and the question whether deterrence can be effective even if its use is prohibited. The book also discusses the implications of various possible changes in NATO policy.

Nuclear Arms

Nuclear Arms
Author: R. James Woolsey
Publisher:
Total Pages: 312
Release: 1984
Genre: History
ISBN:

Nuclear Weapons and the Future of Humanity

Nuclear Weapons and the Future of Humanity
Author: Avner Cohen
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield
Total Pages: 514
Release: 1986
Genre: History
ISBN: 9780847672585

The excellent quality and depth of the various essays make [the book] an invaluable resource....It is likely to become essential reading in its field.--CHOICE