Jon Quong on Self-Defense

Oct 3, 2012

What conditions make it permissible for one person to kill another? And what does it mean if the theories that we've used as the basis of war turn out to be wrong? Here's Jon Quong of the University of Manchester.

Today on Public Ethics Radio we're returning to one of our favorite themes: self-defense and the ethics of war. With Jon Quong of the University of Manchester, we're going to ask the question, what conditions make it permissible for one person to kill another? And what does it mean if the theories that we've used as the basis of war turn out to be wrong?

For the full text, please download the PDF below.

You may also like

MAY 18, 2026 Article

A Conversation with Carnegie Ethics Fellow Alex Urwin

This conversation features Alex Urwin, head of strategic partnerships & projects at the UK prime minister's office.

MAY 14, 2026 Podcast

Practicing Strategic Empathy and Navigating Competing Values

University of Hong Kong's Professor Brian Wong discusses U.S.-China relations and how to practice strategic empathy without succumbing to moral relativism.

MAY 6, 2026 Podcast

Building Moral and Professional Resilience

Watch/listen to the latest "Values & Interests" podcast featuring Gilles Michaud, UN Under-Secretary-General for Safety and Security.

Not translated

This content has not yet been translated into your language. You can request a translation by clicking the button below.

Request Translation