“For those who relish ethical debate or for others who merely wish to take a deeper look at the moral values that underpin their profession, Axinn provides a rich commentary.”
—Military Review
Sidney Axinnis Professor Emeritus, Philosophy Department, Temple University, and Curtesy Professor, Philosophy, University of South Florida. He is Past President of the American Society for Value Inquiry, and the author ofThe Logic of Hope: Extensions of Kant's View of Religion.
Preface to the 2008 edition
Preface to the original edition
1. Introduction
2. Morality: Why Sacrifice Myself? What are moral questions?
3. Military Honor and the Laws of Warfare: When Can I Lie to the Enemy?
4. Hostilities: All Is Not Fair
5. Prisoners of War
6. Spies
7. Non-Hostile Relations with the Enemy
8. War Crimes, Remedies, and Retaliation (Dirty Warfare)
9. The Dirty-Hands Theory of Command
10. Torture
11. Nuclear Devices and Low-Intensity Conflicts
12. Conclusions
Appendix 1. Are the Hague and Geneva Conventions Obsolete?
Appendix 2. Topics Not Considered in the Text
Appendix 3. Test on the Laws of Land Warfare
Notes
Brief Bibliography
Index
In this new edition of the classic book on the moral conduct of war, Sidney Axinn provides a full-length treatment of the military conventions from a philosophical point of view. Axinn considers these basic ethical questions within the context of the laws of warfare: Should a good soldier ever disobey a direct military order? Are there restrictions on how we fight a war? What is meant by “military honor,” and does it really affect the contemporary soldier? Is human dignity possible under battlefield conditions?
Axinn answers “yes” to these questions. His objective inA Moral Militaryis to establish a basic framework for moral military action and to assist in analyzing military l³0
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