The Ethics of War and Combat Involvement

This course examines the ethical implications of warfare and related forms of large-scale combative violence. It approaches this topic from both theoretical and applied perspectives. We will investigate the ethical theory of war, inquiring what conditions (if any) morally justify warfare between political bodies. This will primarily include contemporary voices in just war theory and pacifism. We will then apply these theoretical insights to specific moral issues arising from war and combat, such as nuclear weapons, terrorism, AI weapons systems, and the preservation of cultural heritage during war. The course will also address first-personal narratives of combat experience in order to examine the phenomenon known as “moral injury,” a concept of growing importance in veteran psychiatry and the ethics of war.