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Discussion Questions

Is war always wrong? Or can the use of large-scale, organized violence sometimes be justified?

Does it even make sense to apply moral principles to war?

What have theorists and philosophers had to say about the problem, and how has the discussion developed in the course of history and in response to events?

What is a so-called just war? What does it mean to have a just cause?

How likely and imminent does an attack have to be to justify preemptive war?

Does a responsible government act to deter its enemies, or strike first to neutralize potential threats?

What justifies prevention?

Is war a realm of necessity, or of ethics?

What is a just peace?

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Advance Praise

"This extensively revised edition of a well-known collection of essays more than meets the already high standard of earlier versions. The seventeen essays collected here bring expert focus on the key ethical issues of the day, with contributions from most of the major authorities in the field. This is an essential teaching collection for courses on ethics and international affairs and international political theory more generally."
—CHRIS BROWN,
Professor of International Relations, London School of Economics

"This collection of essays, from leading scholars in their field, represents the best of contemporary writing on normative issues in global affairs. They chart with clarity and insight some of the most important current debates about how the world might become more just."
—TIM HAYWARD,
Professor of Environmental Political Theory, University of Edinburgh

"The newest edition of Ethics & International Affairs is an invaluable resource for course instructors and researchers in this rapidly expanding field. The new preface helpfully situates 'international ethics' within the broader study of world politics. Each of the chapters offers sophisticated normative analysis of important ethical issues in international relations, from some of the most distinguished scholars in the field today. As an instructor for a graduate course in International Ethics, I am delighted to find so many of the wonderful EIA articles I include on my reading list together in one volume."
—FIONA ROBINSON,
Associate Professor of Political Science and Director of Graduate Studies, Carleton University