Arguing About War (Yale Nota Bene)

A provocative discussion of recent wars and the issues that surround them, written by a preeminent political theorist Michael Walzer is one of the worlds most eminent philosophers on the subject of war and ethics. Now, for the first time since his classic Just and Unjust Wars was published almost three decades ago, this volume brings together his most provocative arguments about contemporary military conflicts and the ethical issues they raise. The essays in the book are divided into three sections. The first deals with issues such as humanitarian intervention, emergency ethics, and terrorism. The second consists of Walzers responses to particular wars, including the first Gulf War, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. And the third presents an essay in which Walzer imagines a future in which war might play a less significant part in our lives. In his introduction, Walzer reveals how his thinking has changed over time. Written during a period of intense debate over the proper use of armed force, this book gets to the heart of difficult problems and argues persuasively for a moral perspective on war.

"Walzer's discussion about war and ethics are always provocative, well argued, and insightful. He is able to transform complex issues into readable, understandable, and persuasive prose."—Jean Bethke Elshtain, author of Just War Against Terror: The Burden of American Power in a Violent World

Author Biography: Michael Walzer is UPS Foundation Professor of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. He is the author, editor, or coeditor of more than a dozen books, including On Toleration, The Jewish Political Tradition, Volumes I and II, and 50 Years of Dissent, all published by Yale University Press.

Also available by Michael Walzer: On Toleration

Publishers Weekly

Walzer (Just and Unjust Wars) collects previously published pieces from the last 15 years that dramatize and discuss the ethical dilemmas of military intervention in emergency situations, after terrorism and during foreign civil wars. Walzer's consideration of pros and cons can be so theoretically oriented that it is difficult to tell where he stands precisely, but it is clear that he believes officers must require risk-taking in battle and soldiers should undertake it. He does not have anything good to say about pacifists and works to refute arguments on the left claiming that the terrorism originating in the developing world should be thought of differently than that originating elsewhere. Rwanda's ethnic cleansing, the Gulf War and Kosovo's bloody move toward independence all serve as case studies, often as facts on the ground were developing or before they developed; writing before the Iraq War, Walzer weighs military occupation in Iraq against the possibility of a better political regime and follows that with a provocative, counterintuitive argument that France, in particular, but also Germany and Russia, bear a heavy responsibility for the United States' decision to preemptively attack. Events are outpacing some of Walzer's deliberations, but his case studies put the issues at stake in relief, regardless of whether one accepts his conclusions. (Aug.) Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Cover......Page 1 Title......Page 4 Contents......Page 8 Introduction......Page 10 Part One: Theory......Page 18 1. The Triumph of Just War Theory (and the dangers of success) (2002)......Page 20 2. Two Kinds of military responsibility (1980)......Page 40 3. Emergency ethics (1988)......Page 50 4. Terrorism - a critique of excuses (1988)......Page 68 5. The politics of rescure (1994)......Page 84 Part Two: Cases......Page 100 6. Justice and injustice in the gulf war (1992)......Page 102 7. Kosovo (1999)......Page 116 8. The Intifada and the Green Line (1988)......Page 121 9. The four wars of Israel/Palestine (2002)......Page 130 10. After 9/11: Five questions about terrorism (2002)......Page 147 Inspectors Yes, War No (Sept. 2002)......Page 160 The Right War (Jan. 2003)......Page 168 What a Little War Could Do (Mar. 2003)......Page 174 So, Is This a Just War? (Mar. 2003)......Page 177 Just and Unjust Occupations (Nov. 2003)......Page 179 Part Three: Futures......Page 186 12. Governing the globe (2000)......Page 188 Acknowledgments......Page 210 Notes to Chap. 1......Page 214 Notes to Chap. 3......Page 216 Notes to Chap. 4......Page 217 Credits......Page 218 Index......Page 220 Cover 1 Title 4 Contents 8 Introduction 10 Part One: Theory 18 1. The Triumph of Just War Theory (and the dangers of success) (2002) 20 2. Two Kinds of military responsibility (1980) 40 3. Emergency ethics (1988) 50 4. Terrorism - a critique of excuses (1988) 68 5. The politics of rescure (1994) 84 Part Two: Cases 100 6. Justice and injustice in the gulf war (1992) 102 7. Kosovo (1999) 116 8. The Intifada and the Green Line (1988) 121 9. The four wars of Israel/Palestine (2002) 130 10. After 9/11: Five questions about terrorism (2002) 147 11. Five on Iraq 160 Inspectors Yes, War No (Sept. 2002) 160 The Right War (Jan. 2003) 168 What a Little War Could Do (Mar. 2003) 174 So, Is This a Just War? (Mar. 2003) 177 Just and Unjust Occupations (Nov. 2003) 179 Part Three: Futures 186 12. Governing the globe (2000) 188 Acknowledgments 210 Notes 214 Notes to Chap. 1 214 Notes to Chap. 3 216 Notes to Chap. 4 217 Credits 218 Index 220 "Michael Walzer is one of the world's most eminent philosophers on the subject of war and ethics. Now, for the first time since his classic Just and Unjust Wars was published almost three decades ago, this volume brings together his most provocative arguments about contemporary military conflicts and the ethical issues they raise." "The essays in the book are divided into three sections. The first deals with issues such as nuclear deterrence, humanitarian intervention, and terrorism. The second consists of Walzer's responses to particular wars, including the first Gulf War and the wars in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Iraq. And in the third Walzer imagines a future in which war might play a less significant part in our lives. In his introduction to the book, Walzer explains that his thinking has changed over time." For the first time since his classic Just and Unjust Wars was published almost thirty years ago, this volume brings together provocative arguments by preeminent political theorist Michael Walzer on contemporary military conflicts-including the Iraq war-and the ethical issues they raise. "Written during a period of intense debates over the proper use of armed force, this book gets to the heart of difficult problems and argues persuasively for a moral perspective on war."--Jacket.