POLI 2109 - The Ethics of War and Peace
General Course Information
Course Details | Detailed Course Information | Course Staff | Course Timetable | Related Links
Course Details
| Course Code | POLI 2109 |
| Course | The Ethics of War and Peace |
| Coordinating Unit | School of History & Politics, Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences |
| Term | Semester 2 2013 |
| Mode | Internal |
| Level | Undergraduate |
| Location/s | North Terrace |
| Units | 3 |
| Contact | Up to 3 hours per week |
| Prerequisites | 12 units of Level I Humanities/Social Sciences courses |
| Corequisites | Not applicable |
| Incompatible | POLI 2022 or POLI 3022 |
| Assumed Knowledge | Not applicable |
| Restrictions | Not applicable |
| Quota | Not applicable |
| Course Description | This course is concerned with the ethics of war and peace in international politics. The approach taken is both theoretical and practical. Students will be introduced to the major theoretical approaches to ethical questions in international relations (i.e. realism, pacifism, just war theory and cosmopolitanism) and will be expected to evaluate their main strengths and weaknesses as well as to apply their logic to specific cases and situations.The central questions the course will explore include: Can the use of force ever be justified on ethical grounds? Is there really such a thing as a just war? Is it possible to provide an ethical justification for pre-emptive and preventive war? Are the tenets of the just war tradition applicable to conflict in the 21st century? Is humanitarian intervention an ethical practice or should the principles of sovereignty and non-intervention be upheld? Can the practice of torture be justified under specific circumstances? Should we pay less attention to the ethics of war and more to the ethics of peace? Lest we forget versus let's forget: (what) should we remember? |
Detailed Course Information
Includes Learning Objectives, Learning Resources, Teaching & Learning
Course Enrolment Dates and Fees
The enrolment dates, fees and full timetable of all activities for this course can be accessed from the Course Planner.
Course Staff
Dr Benito Cao
School of History & Politics
Faculty of Humanities & Social Sciences
Room 409
Napier Building
North Terrace
Telephone: +61 8 8313 5745
Email
Tutor
Dr Adela Alfonsi
Room 427
Napier Building
Email
