Morality and Political Violence

Description

Political violence in the form of wars, insurgencies, terrorism and violent rebellion constitutes a major human challenge. C. A. J. Coady brings a philosophical and ethical perspective as he places the problems of war and political violence in the frame of reflective ethics. In this book, Coady re-examines a range of urgent problems pertinent to political violence against the background of a contemporary approach to just war thinking. The problems examined include: the right to make war and conduct war, terrorism, revolution, humanitarianism, mercenary warriors, the ideal of peace and the right way to end war. Coady attempts to vindicate the contemporary relevance of the just war tradition to current problems without applying the tradition in a merely mechanical or uncritical fashion.

C. A. J. Coady is one of Australia's best-known philosophers, both at home and abroad. In addition to his academic distinction, he is a regular contributor to public debate on topics to do with ethical and philosophical dimensions of current affairs. A professor of philosophy at the University of Melbourne, he has served as the founding Director of the Centre for Philosophy and Public Issues and the Deputy Director of the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics and Head of its University of Melbourne Division. In 2005, he gave the prestigious Uehiro Lectures on practical ethics at Oxford University.

'Coady has a good command of the growing literature on the philosophy of war and related issues of violence. His work is well-researched and clearly written. It represents a major contribution to the understanding of violence in its many permutations in the modern world.' Robert Holmes, Analysis 'In Morality and Political Violence, [Coady] has produced a major work, characterized by an abundance of good sense and acute argument ... I have no hesitation in recommending Morality and Political Violence. It deserves to replace the hitherto standard work, Michael Walzer's Just and Unjust Wars, as the first book to consult about the morality of warfare.' David Gordon, The Mises Review 'Tony Coady's large and insightful book on political violence is an important and welcome event ... [he] has delivered an important work of moral philosophy, which admirably demonstrates the relevance of such philosophy to policy practices relating to security, war and peace.' Anthony Burke, The Australian Journal of Political Science 'This book is a fine demonstration of how one must be open to and engaged with a range of views, even when at odds with them. Similarly, Coady's moral seriousness is exemplary.' Anthony J. Langlois, The Australian Book Review '... shows more awareness of the detailed issues than many other such books and may well be the best treatment of its kind yet written ...' Thomas Hurka, The Philosophical Review 'This is a comprehensive discussion of political violence and the morality of war. Each of its fourteen chapters treats a major topic with insight and analytical rigor.' Bruce M. Landesman, Philosophy in Review