Location

King Building 123

Document Type

Presentation

Start Date

4-27-2018 12:00 PM

End Date

4-27-2018 1:20 PM

Abstract

This project examines the Responsibility Dilemma in revisionist just war theory. Just war theory is the study of applied military ethics and revisionist just war theory is a more recent school of thought within just war theory. The Responsibility Dilemma, a problem noted by Seth Lazar, results from the challenges that arise when responsibility for the threat of harm in war is assigned to individual soldiers. I begin this project by exploring the predominant views in just war theory. Then, I look at the Responsibility Dilemma and the solutions that various philosophers have offered. Finally, I conclude that none of these solutions solve the problem raised in the Responsibility Dilemma and I offer my own suggestions on how to solve this problem. I argue that one way to address this problem is to look at how responsibility could be derived and assigned to individuals as the result of state action.

Keywords:

war, responsibility, liability, ethics, moral and political philosophy

Notes

Session II, Panel 6 - Philosophical | Critique
Moderator: Todd Ganson, Professor of Philosophy

Major

Philosophy; Law and Society

Advisor(s)

Katherine Thomson-Jones, Philosophy
Harry Hirsch, Politics

Project Mentor(s)

Todd Ganson, Philosophy

April 2018

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Apr 27th, 12:00 PM Apr 27th, 1:20 PM

Responsibility in Just War Theory

King Building 123

This project examines the Responsibility Dilemma in revisionist just war theory. Just war theory is the study of applied military ethics and revisionist just war theory is a more recent school of thought within just war theory. The Responsibility Dilemma, a problem noted by Seth Lazar, results from the challenges that arise when responsibility for the threat of harm in war is assigned to individual soldiers. I begin this project by exploring the predominant views in just war theory. Then, I look at the Responsibility Dilemma and the solutions that various philosophers have offered. Finally, I conclude that none of these solutions solve the problem raised in the Responsibility Dilemma and I offer my own suggestions on how to solve this problem. I argue that one way to address this problem is to look at how responsibility could be derived and assigned to individuals as the result of state action.