War Ethics: Theory, Practice, and Memoir

War Ethics: Theory, Practice and Memoir is an extraordinarily diverse collection of over ninety readings on the ethics, law, morality, and justice of armed conflict. Each of the foundational theories of war ethics—realism, pacifism, just war theory, and international law—is examined in depth, as are challenging alternative perspectives from feminist thinkers and the world’s major religions. A substantial section on contemporary issues covers topics ranging from cyberwar, A.I., terrorism, and drones to torture, war’s environmental impacts, and the rights of soldiers and veterans. Also included is an extensive collection of riveting first-person accounts from soldiers, civilians, and observers, which powerfully convey the personal impacts of war. Introductory discussions and summary articles from Brian Orend are integrated throughout the text, including a closing essay on new technologies and the future of war.

“The many insights provided throughout this thoughtfully crafted anthology are trenchant and highly relevant to our time. The sources range from classical to contemporary scholarship—but also include searing firsthand accounts of the carnage and moral cost of armed conflict. War Ethics goes even further, exploring the ways new technologies challenge current ideas about how to wage and cope with the aftermath of ‘just wars.” — John Arquilla, Distinguished Professor Emeritus, U.S. Naval Postgraduate School

“This remarkable book collects together judicious selections of writings on a wide range of topics by thinkers of all sorts: ancient and modern, secular and religious, legal and philosophical, Western and non-Western, realist and pacifist, left-wing and right-wing. It is hard to imagine how there could be a more comprehensive range of thought about the ethics of war in a single volume.” — Jeff McMahan, Sekyra and White’s Professor of Moral Philosophy (emeritus), Oxford University, and author of Killing in War

“The ambition demonstrated by this volume is impressive—and it delivers! It is an exploration of war ethics writ large, covering the theory, practice, and experience of war from multiple perspectives, including those which are too often overlooked or marginalised.” — David Whetham, Director of King's Centre for Military Ethics, King's College London

Brian Orend is Professor of Philosophy at the University of Waterloo. He has published numerous books and articles on the ethics of war, including The Morality of War (Broadview), War and Political Theory(Polity), On War: A Dialogue (Rowman & Littlefield), and War and International Justice: A Kantian Perspective (Wilfrid Laurier University Press).

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