Read more
Zusatztext One of the few moral ideas about warfare that are generally agreed is that the use of armed force can be justified in the cause of national self-defence. This aspect of traditional Just War doctrine is widely accepted by public opinion and is enshrined in international law, including the Charter of the United Nations. David Rodin's remarkable and original book mounts a powerful attack on this idea ... David Rodin's book demands serious and uncomfortable thought not only about the specific question of national self-defence and its morality, but about the role of moral ideas in international conflict altogether. Zusammenfassung When is it right to go to war? The most persuasive answer to this question has always been 'in self-defense'. In a penetrating new analysis, bringing together moral philosophy, political science, and law, David Rodin shows what's wrong with this answer. He proposes a comprehensive new theory of the right of self-defense which resolves many of the perplexing questions that have dogged both jurists and moral philosophers. By applying the theory of self-defense to international relations, Rodin produces a far-reaching critique of the canonical Just War theory. The simple analogy between self-defense and national defense - between the individual and the state - needs to be fundamentally rethought, and with it many of the basic elements of international law and the ethics of international relations.
