Authors:
- Discusses the neglected topic of weapons research in the literature of applied ethics/applied moral philosophy
- Argues that weapons research is morally wrong and morally unjustifable
- Provides a wide ranging use of examples, from ancient weapons to those of the present day?
Part of the book series: Research Ethics Forum (REFF, volume 1)
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Table of contents (13 chapters)
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Front Matter
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Back Matter
About this book
The pilot-less drones, smart bombs and other high-tech weapons on display in recent conflicts are all the outcome of weapons research. However, the kind of scientific and technological endeavour has been around for a long time, producing not only the armaments of Nazi Germany and the atomic bombs dropped on Japan, but the catapults used in ancient Greece and Rome and the assault rifles used by child soldiers in Africa. In this book John Forge examines such weapons research and asks whether it is morally acceptable to undertake such an activity. He argues that it is in fact morally wrong to take part in weapons research as its primary purpose is to produce the means to harm others, and moreover he argues that all attempts to then justify participation in weapons research do not stand up to scrutiny.
This book has wide appeal in fields of philosophy and related areas, as well to a more general audience who are puzzled about the rate at which new weapons are accumulated.
Authors and Affiliations
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The University of Sydney, Sydney, Australia
John Forge
About the author
Bibliographic Information
Book Title: Designed to Kill: The Case Against Weapons Research
Authors: John Forge
Series Title: Research Ethics Forum
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-5736-3
Publisher: Springer Dordrecht
eBook Packages: Humanities, Social Sciences and Law, Philosophy and Religion (R0)
Copyright Information: Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht 2013
Hardcover ISBN: 978-94-007-5735-6Published: 23 December 2012
Softcover ISBN: 978-94-007-9524-2Published: 29 January 2015
eBook ISBN: 978-94-007-5736-3Published: 24 December 2012
Series ISSN: 2212-9529
Series E-ISSN: 2212-9537
Edition Number: 1
Number of Pages: XIV, 314
Topics: Ethics, Theory of Medicine/Bioethics, Security Science and Technology