Nuclear Deterrence, Morality and Realism

by Germain Grisez, Joseph M. Boyle Jr., John Finnis, et al.

Book Overview

Providing a rigorous and objective ethical analysis of nuclear deterrence, this book discusses such issues as the Soviet menace, possible holocaust, and strategic imperatives. At the same time, the authors unmask types of deterrence that they perceive essentially as moral evasions, maintaining that deterrence cannot be bluffing, pure counterforce, the lesser (or greater) evil, or a step towards disarmament. Concluding that deterrence is unjustifiable,...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0198247915
• ISBN13: 9780198247913
• Release Date: September 1988
• Publisher: Clarendon Press
• Length: 444 Pages
• Weight: 1.30 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.9" x 8.2"

Customer Reviews

Bad Timing

Rather unfortunately, this book appeared just two years before the end of the Cold War. It therefore will now seem dated to some, particularly in light of the new threats that have arisen since 1989; the old battles over nuclear deterrence have been replaced by new battles over how to deal with terrorism. But it would be a great shame to let the book be forgotten for this reason. Finnis, Grisez, and Boyle are three of the leading scholars responsible for the revival of Natural Law theories in the late twentieth century, and their book presents their joint effort in analyzing the moral deficiencies of consequentialist (outcome-oriented) thinking. The book is well worth owning for just this reason. No matter one's feelings about the success of Natural Law reasoning (and I have considerable doubts), this book will help any reader better understand what is truly at stake in, for instance, contemporary debates over the use of torture.

A new outlook

Finnis presents a new outlook on an old battle. He considers the ethical and moral, as well as the pragmatic issues pertaining to the nuclear question.