Just American Wars: Ethical Dilemmas in U.S. Military History

Just American Wars: Ethical Dilemmas in U.S. Military History
ISBN-10
113831398X
ISBN-13
9781138313989
Category
Just war doctrine
Pages
240
Language
English
Published
2018-10-09
Author
Eric Patterson

Description

This book examines the moral choices faced by US political and military leaders in deciding when and how to employ force, from the American Revolution to the present-day. Specifically, the book looks at discrete ethical dilemmas in various American conflicts from a just war perspective. For example, was the casus belliof the American Revolution just, and more specifically, was the Continental Congress a 'legitimate' political authority? Was it just for Truman to drop the atomic bomb on Japan? How much of a role did the egos of Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon play in prolonging the Vietnam War? Often there are trade-offs that civilian and military leaders must take into account, such as General Scott's 1847 decision to bombard the city of Veracruz, in order to quickly move his troops off the malarial Mexican coast. The book also considers the moral significance and policy practicalities of different motives and courses of action. The case studies provided highlight the nuances and even limits of just war principles, such as just cause, right intention, legitimate authority, last resort, likelihood of success, discrimination, proportionality, and principles for ending war such as order, justice, and conciliation. This book will be of interest for students of just war theory, ethics, philosophy, American history and military history more generally.

Get the book

Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Search the book
eBay.com
eBay.com
Search the book

Other editions

Similar books

  • Living Our Visions of Peace
    Living Our Visions of Peace
    By Connie Johnson

    Russian Roulette : The Superpower Game , Arthur Macy Cox , Times Books , 1982 . The Tax Dilemma : Praying for Peace , Paying for War , Donald D. Kaufman , Herald Press , 1978 . Toward A Dependable Peace : A Proposal for an Appropriate ...

  • The Just War Myth: The Moral Illusions of War
    The Just War Myth: The Moral Illusions of War
    By Andrew Fiala

    President George W. Bush, Second Inaugural Address What has come to be known as the "Bush Doctrine" is an idealistic approach to international relations that imagines a world transformed by the promise of democracy and that sees ...

  • War Law: International Law and Armed Conflict
    By Michael Byers

    This book addresses five broad issues: UN Security Council authorization, self-defence against terrorism, pre-emptive war, humanitarian and pro-democratic intervention, and the protection of civilians and combatants during armed conflict.

  • Haunts of Violence in the Church
    Haunts of Violence in the Church
    By Howard Goeringer

    As we prayerfully shared Jesus' gospel of nonviolent agape, it became clear that, although we had very different church backgrounds, we had been led to the same conclusion: the Messiah of the world is nonviolent and his Sermon on the ...

  • La guerre peut-elle être juste?: réflexions sur le jus post bellum
    La guerre peut-elle être juste?: réflexions sur le jus post bellum
    By Philippe Assalé, Germain Philippe Assale Tingo

    La 4e de couv. indique : "La guerre peut-elle être juste ?

  • Practical Pacifism
    Practical Pacifism
    By Andrew Fiala

    Practical Pacifism argues for an approach to peace that aims toward a moral consensus that is developed pragmatically through dialogue aimed at overlapping consensus.

  • Guerre juste, guerre injuste: histoire, théories et critiques
    By Christian Nadeau, Julie Saada

    Le retour des doctrines de la "guerre juste" dans les discours des grandes puissances pourrait suffire à en condamner le concept : ces doctrines ne servent-elles pas à justifier leurs entreprises impérialistes ?

  • Le dilemme du soldat: guerre juste et prohibition du meurtre
    Le dilemme du soldat: guerre juste et prohibition du meurtre
    By Nicolas Tavaglione

    Le dilemme du soldat: guerre juste et prohibition du meurtre

  • Just War: Principles and Cases
    Just War: Principles and Cases
    By Richard J. Regan, Regan Richard J.

    And, if so, for what purpose? In this book, Richard J. Regan confronts these controversial questions by first considering the basic principles of just-war theory and then applying those principles to historical and ongoing conflicts.

  • The Just War Doctrine in Catholic Thought
    The Just War Doctrine in Catholic Thought
    By James B. Whisker, Kevin Spiker

    "The just war theory is a doctrine, which is related to and at times interchangeable with such concepts as military tradition, military ethics, the doctrines of military leaders, conflict theology, ethical policy-making, and military ...