An Ethical Study on Nuclear Warfare and the Possibility of Deterrence
An Ethical Study on Nuclear Warfare and the Possibility of Deterrence

Author: Silambarasan Sibiyon

Publisher: GRIN Verlag

Published: 2023-07-19

Total Pages: 20

ISBN-13: 3346909417

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Seminar paper from the year 2022 in the subject Philosophy - Practical (Ethics, Aesthetics, Culture, Nature, Right, ...), , course: Diploma, language: English, abstract: This term paper aims to conduct an in-depth ethical analysis of nuclear warfare, exploring the moral dilemmas and consequences associated with the use of nuclear weapons. The paper begins by providing a comprehensive overview of the historical context and development of nuclear weapons, highlighting their immense destructive power and potential for catastrophic consequences. Drawing upon various ethical frameworks, including consequentialism, deontology, and just war theory, this study examines the ethical considerations surrounding nuclear warfare. It delves into the moral implications of targeting civilian populations, the principle of proportionality in armed conflict, and the concept of deterrence as a means to prevent war. Additionally, it explores the notion of responsibility in relation to nuclear weapons possession and disarmament efforts. Furthermore, this paper critically evaluates arguments both for and against nuclear deterrence as an ethically justifiable strategy. It analyzes the potential benefits of deterrence in preventing large-scale conflicts while also addressing concerns regarding its effectiveness, credibility, and potential for accidental or unauthorized use. Moreover, this research investigates alternative perspectives on nuclear disarmament efforts and explores ethical considerations associated with non-proliferation treaties. It examines the role of international organizations such as the United Nations in promoting disarmament initiatives and fostering global cooperation. Finally, this study assesses contemporary challenges posed by emerging technologies such as cyber warfare and autonomous weapons systems within the context of nuclear ethics. It highlights potential ethical dilemmas arising from these advancements and emphasizes the need for ongoing ethical analysis to address these evolving threats. By examining these complex ethical issues surrounding nuclear warfare through various lenses, this term paper aims to contribute to a deeper understanding of the moral dimensions involved. Ultimately, it seeks to foster critical thinking about nuclear weapons policymaking while encouraging dialogue on global security challenges within an ethical framework.

Ethics and Nuclear Deterrence
Ethics and Nuclear Deterrence

Author: Geoffrey Goodwin

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-11-19

Total Pages: 200

ISBN-13: 1000199320

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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.

Morality and the Bomb
Morality and the Bomb

Author: David Fisher

Publisher: Routledge

Published: 2020-07-20

Total Pages: 186

ISBN-13: 1000047547

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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.

Military Strategy: A Very Short Introduction
Military Strategy: A Very Short Introduction

Author: Antulio J. Echevarria II

Publisher: Oxford University Press

Published: 2024

Total Pages: 161

ISBN-13: 0197760155

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Military Strategy: A Very Short Introduction adapts Clausewitz's framework to highlight the dynamic relationship between the main elements of strategy: purpose, method, and means. Drawing on historical examples, Antulio J. Echevarria discusses the major types of military strategy and how emerging technologies are affecting them. This second edition has been updated to include an expanded chapter on manipulation through cyberwarfare and new further reading.

Getting MAD: Nuclear Mutual Assured Destruction, Its Origins and Practice
Getting MAD: Nuclear Mutual Assured Destruction, Its Origins and Practice

Author:

Publisher: DIANE Publishing

Published: 2004

Total Pages: 369

ISBN-13: 1428910336

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Nearly 40 years after the concept of finite deterrence was popularized by the Johnson administration, nuclear Mutual Assured Destruction (MAD) thinking appears to be in decline. The United States has rejected the notion that threatening population centers with nuclear attacks is a legitimate way to assure deterrence. Most recently, it withdrew from the Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, an agreement based on MAD. American opposition to MAD also is reflected in the Bush administration's desire to develop smaller, more accurate nuclear weapons that would reduce the number of innocent civilians killed in a nuclear strike. Still, MAD is influential in a number of ways. First, other countries, like China, have not abandoned the idea that holding their adversaries' cities at risk is necessary to assure their own strategic security. Nor have U.S. and allied security officials and experts fully abandoned the idea. At a minimum, acquiring nuclear weapons is still viewed as being sensible to face off a hostile neighbor that might strike one's own cities. Thus, our diplomats have been warning China that Japan would be under tremendous pressure to go nuclear if North Korea persisted in acquiring a few crude weapons of its own. Similarly, Israeli officials have long argued, without criticism, that they would not be second in acquiring nuclear weapons in the Middle East. Indeed, given that Israelis surrounded by enemies that would not hesitate to destroy its population if they could, Washington finds Israel's retention of a significant nuclear capability totally "understandable."

Thinking about Nuclear Weapons
Thinking about Nuclear Weapons

Author: Michael Quinlan

Publisher: Royal United Services Institute (RUSI)

Published: 1997

Total Pages: 94

ISBN-13:

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En studie vedr. kernevåbens betydning og indflydelse på sikkerhedspolitik og magtbalance

The Nuclear Taboo
The Nuclear Taboo

Author: Nina Tannenwald

Publisher: Cambridge University Press

Published: 2007-12-20

Total Pages: 472

ISBN-13: 9780521524285

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Why have nuclear weapons not been used since Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945? Nina Tannenwald disputes the conventional answer of 'deterrence' in favour of what she calls a nuclear taboo - a widespread inhibition on using nuclear weapons - which has arisen in global politics. Drawing on newly released archival sources, Tannenwald traces the rise of the nuclear taboo, the forces that produced it, and its influence, particularly on US leaders. She analyzes four critical instances where US leaders considered using nuclear weapons (Japan 1945, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and the Gulf War 1991) and examines how the nuclear taboo has repeatedly dissuaded US and other world leaders from resorting to these 'ultimate weapons'. Through a systematic analysis, Tannenwald challenges conventional conceptions of deterrence and offers a compelling argument on the moral bases of nuclear restraint as well as an important insight into how nuclear war can be avoided in the future.