Philosophy of Conflict and War

Overview

This module explores the moral and ethical questions posed by serious political conflict, in particular those posed by war and other forms of violent collective struggle. It commences with a critical examination of rival theoretical understandings of ‘the political’, which frame the problem of political conflict, and of the possibilities of overcoming such conflict, in very different ways. A key focus here is the work of modern political realists and the critics of political realism. The module then moves to explore the specific moral-ethical problems associated with war, with an emphasis on the Just War tradition as it is developed in the work of contemporary political philosophers. Among the issues addressed here are the concepts of violence and of war, the Just War understanding of jus ad bellum and jus in bello, the challenge of pacifism to Just War thinking, the problem of dirty hands, the morality of military intervention, and the normative justifications and criticisms of contemporary state and non-state terrorism

Learning Objectives

On successful completion of the module students will:
• be familiar with rival understandings of ‘the political’ and appreciate their implication for understanding and overcoming political conflict
• understand the arguments for, and criticisms of, ‘political realism’
• understand the key principles underpinning the tradition of Just War theory
• be familiar with the different moral and ethical problems posed by the resort to war, the prosecution of war, the recourse to military intervention, and the use of terrorist strategies
• comprehend and be in a position to critically appraise the work of Just War theorists and other contemporary political philosophers in the field
• be able to appreciate and evaluate both the justifications and criticisms of Just War theory

Skills

The module provides students with opportunities to develop the following skills:
Intellectual skills
• Managing & Prioritizing Knowledge: to identify relevant and subject-specific knowledge, sources and data; to manage such information in an independent manner;
• Analytical Thinking: to identify, understand, interpret and evaluate relevant subject-specific arguments made by others; to construct independent arguments;
• Critical & Independent Thinking: to think critically and construct one’s own position in relation to existing and ongoing debates in the field
• Social and Political Awareness: ability to perceive and effectively criticize the many unjust power hierarchies (whether class, racial, gender, or managerial in form) at work within specific institutions and society as a whole
Professional and career development skills
• Communication Skills: to communicate clearly with others, both orally and in writing;
• Diversity: to acknowledge and be sensitive to the range of cultural differences present in the learning environment;
• Self-Reflexivity: to reflect on one’s own progress and identify and act upon one’s own development needs with respect to life-long learning and career development;
• Time Management: to negotiate diverse and competing pressures; to cope with stress; and to achieve a work / life balance.
Technical and practical skills
• Information Technology: to demonstrate the knowledge and ability to use contemporary and relevant ICT.
Organizational skills
• Efficient and effective work practice: to demonstrate ability to work efficiently to deadlines;
• Clear organisation of information: to show efficiency in the organisation of large amounts of complex information and the ability to identify, describe and analyse the key features of the information;
• Organisation and communication: to use evidence to develop logical and clear arguments; to show aptitude for the effective use of information in a direct and appropriate way.

Assessment

1 lecture/seminar per week (2hrs)

Two assignments
2 Essays (50% each; 2000 to 2500 words each)