| Description | This unit examines ethical and legal norms relating to the use of armed force for political purposes by states and non-state actors. In particular, it explores the ways in which ethics and law influence or fail to influence strategic and tactical decisions. After an introduction to the nature of ethics and law and their relationship with politics and strategy, the course examines a wide range of topics, drawing on historical and contemporary case studies. The topics covered include: conscription and conscientious objection; law of armed conflict in international and internal conflicts; the concept of inhumane weapons; the use of private contractors to support and wage war; ideas of Just War and self-defence; forceful intervention in other states for humanitarian and other purposes; ethics and the war on terror; and the enforcement of ethical and legal norms. |
