Ethics, Killing, and War

by Richard Norman

Book Overview

Can war ever be justified? Why is it wrong to kill? In this new book Richard Norman looks at these and other related questions, and thereby examines the possibility and nature of rational moral argument. Practical examples, such as the Gulf War and the Falklands War, are used to show that, while moral philosophy can offer no easy answers, it is a worthwhile enterprise that sheds light on many pressing contemporary problems.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0521455537
• ISBN13: 9780521455534
• Release Date: February 1995
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Length: 268 Pages
• Weight: 0.85 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 5.5" x 8.6"

Customer Reviews

Excellent text for ethics and politics

Professor Norman provides a clearly written examination of killing and war that complements very well Michael Walzer's Just and Unjust Wars. Norman offers useful and precise descriptions of the modern theories of war and the relevant ethics, but he also takes the reader into a good critique of those theories; his style makes the difficult aspects and implications of the theories easy to understand. Ultimately he presents 'no solution' to war, fearing that moral deadlocks that may arise can be insoluble. Many may disagree with his conclusion but none should be disappointed with the six in-depth chapters he presents. A useful companion for those interested in general ethics as well as just war studies and pacifism.