Middlebury

PHIL 1009

Self-Defense and War

Self-Defense and War
Self-defense is widely accepted as the sole justification for war. In this course we will investigate moral and legal justifications for self-defense on both the individual and collective levels. We will consider questions such as: Why is self-defense justified between individuals? Can similar justifications be used to justify self-defense between states? Can appeals to self-defense be extended to modify international legal policies to include, for example, humanitarian intervention and/or preemptive strikes? In exploring these questions, we will read historical and contemporary authors such as Augustine, Grotius, Walzer, McMahan and Buchanan. Students will pursue independent research for a final project.
Subject:
Philosophy
Department:
Philosophy
Division:
Humanities
Requirements Fulfilled:
PHL SOC WTR

Sections in Winter 2010

Winter 2010

PHIL1009A-W10 Lecture (Besser, Viner)