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Supported by genuine historical cases, this book argues that
certain new technologies in warfare can not only be justified
within the current framework of the just war theory, but that their
use is mandatory from a moral perspective. Technological
developments raise questions about the manner in which wars ought
to be fought. The growing use of drones, capacity-increasing
technologies, and cyberattacks are perceived by many as posing
great challenges to Just War Theory. Instead of seeing these
technologies as inherently unethical, this book adopts a different
perspective by arguing that they are morally necessary since they
can limit the potential violations of the moral rules of war and
ensure that militaries better respect their obligation to protect
their members. Caron's research offers insights into how and under
what conditions autonomous or semi-autonomous robots, artificial
intelligence, cyberwarfare, and capacityincreasing technologies can
be considered as legitimate weapons. This book will be of interest
to students, members of the armed forces, and scholars studying
Politics, International Relations, Security Studies, Ethics, and
Just War Theory.
Supported by genuine historical cases, this book argues that
certain new technologies in warfare can not only be justified
within the current framework of the just war theory, but that their
use is mandatory from a moral perspective. Technological
developments raise questions about the manner in which wars ought
to be fought. The growing use of drones, capacity-increasing
technologies, and cyberattacks are perceived by many as posing
great challenges to Just War Theory. Instead of seeing these
technologies as inherently unethical, this book adopts a different
perspective by arguing that they are morally necessary since they
can limit the potential violations of the moral rules of war and
ensure that militaries better respect their obligation to protect
their members. Caron's research offers insights into how and under
what conditions autonomous or semi-autonomous robots, artificial
intelligence, cyberwarfare, and capacityincreasing technologies can
be considered as legitimate weapons. This book will be of interest
to students, members of the armed forces, and scholars studying
Politics, International Relations, Security Studies, Ethics, and
Just War Theory.
This book tries to understand the lessons we ought to learn from
the Covid-19 crisis as well as the profound transformations this
pandemic will bring to the world order. These essays explore the
challenge that the pandemic poses to liberalism, the unique
potential this crisis offers us to retake control over
globalization, and how it foreshadows future conflicts, especially
the dynamic between China and the West. This timely book will be of
interest to scholars in Political Science and philosophy, as well
as to general readers interested in what the post Covid-19 world
may resemble.
Throughout history, states have tried to create the perfect
combatant with superhuman physical and cognitive features that are
akin to those of comic book superheroes. However, the current
innovations have nothing to do with the ones from the past and
their development goes beyond a simple technological perspective.
On the contrary, they are raising the prospect of a human
enhancement revolution that will change the ways with which future
wars will be fought and may even profoundly alter the foundations
upon which our modern societies are built on. This book, which
discusses the full ethical implications of these new technologies,
is a unique contribution for students and scholars who care about
the morality of warfare. -- .
The Moral Dilemmas of Fighting Terrorism and Guerrilla Groups
discusses the most important ethical dilemmas associated with the
fight against terrorist organizations and guerilla groups by
providing readers with a rigorous, yet accessible analysis of how
these forms of violence can be justified and how they ought to be
fought by entities targeted by groups resorting to these
strategies. It will be valuable to anyone interested in
understanding the main ethical questions associated with these
forms of political violence and the way they can be addressed.
After providing conceptual clarifications that will allow the
reader to distinguish between terrorism and guerrilla warfare, it
explains and discusses what the criteria are that can justify
resorting to lethal violence on the part of the latter group as
well as the criteria that can determine the identity of those who
can legitimately be targeted by these groups. The book analyzes
when terrorists ought to be targeted and how this can be done,
focusing on the inherent problems associated with the solutions
that are normally used against state actors in order to prevent
attacks on their part, namely what can be coined as "non-violent
alternatives to war", such as economic or diplomatic sanctions, arm
embargoes and non-violent resistance and, on the other hand,
preemptive attacks.
This book proposes an interdisciplinary look at the culture of
shame in Central Asia and evaluates its role in the regulation of
social and political interactions in the region. Contributors
demonstrate how 'uyat' relies on patriarchal and hierarchical
gender norms that negatively affect women and queer bodies. More
specifically, contributors address issues of the taboo of sex
education in Kazakhstani schools, favored heteronormativity and its
consequences on queer bodies, and the compliance of parents to give
their first born to adoption to the husband's parents in
Kyrgyzstan. The book also reflects on how these norms are
challenged by young generations. Lastly, the book will also bring a
novel reading on local political dynamics by examining the role of
shame in Kazakhstani politics as a form of accountability in the
absence of genuine political competition. This book will interest
scholars of Central Asia, gender theorists, and scholars of
post-socialist societies.
The final page in the political history of the Soviet Union was
turned on March 19, 2019, when Nursultan Nazarbayev, the last
former Chairman of a Soviet Republic who had managed to stay in
power following the collapse of USSR, unexpectedly decided to
resign. This edited book looks to analyse the political aspects of
this event more specifically by trying to understand its political
significance for the country's policies, the prospects of
democratisation, the uniqueness of the transition compared with
others that have previously occurred in the region and how it may
play an influential part in future political transitions in this
part of the world. This book will interest scholars of
authoritarian politics, scholars of Central Asia, and those
researching the Belt and Road Initiative.
This book aims at shedding light on the reasons why the death rates
during the pandemic were so high in Central Asia. More
specifically, this book proposes analysis on why individuals did
not follow the sanitary rules imposed by their respective
government and on the role played by misinformation. Secondly, it
also examines the impact of Sinophobia in Central Asia and the
future challenges this feeling may pose on the authorities in the
near future. Lastly, this book also proposes analysis of how the
pandemic has contributed to show the inherent vulnerabilities of
Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan by focusing on their immediate and future
political consequences.
Throughout history, states have tried to create the perfect
combatant with superhuman physical and cognitive features that are
akin to those of comic book superheroes. However, the current
innovations have nothing to do with the ones from the past and
their development goes beyond a simple technological perspective.
On the contrary, they are raising the prospect of a human
enhancement revolution that will change the ways with which future
wars will be fought and may even profoundly alter the foundations
upon which our modern societies are built on. This book, which
discusses the full ethical implications of these new technologies,
is a unique contribution for students and scholars who care about
the morality of warfare. -- .
When we take a look back at the way Western states have fought
terrorist organizations in the last 20 years, it is difficult not
to think that these alternatives to war might have been more
ethical than the decisions to invade Afghanistan and Iraq in 2001
and in 2003. These cases speak for themselves as they have both led
to the death of hundreds of thousands of innocent civilians, which
is highly paradoxical in light of the logic that supported these
interventions. There is a need to think of alternatives to war that
will imply the legitimization of proactive sets of measures that
would allow states to effectively prevent terrorist attacks through
the use of kinetic force in a limited extent as a way to avoid the
terrible and unpredictable effects of wars. Violent Alternatives to
War: Justifying Actions Against Contemporary Terrorism engages in a
moral discussion of the challenges associated with violent
alternatives to war when confronting terrorism and suggests a
comprehensive approach to how this form of violence can be
legitimized and how it ought to be used against this contemporary
threat.
The final page in the political history of the Soviet Union was
turned on March 19, 2019, when Nursultan Nazarbayev, the last
former Chairman of a Soviet Republic who had managed to stay in
power following the collapse of USSR, unexpectedly decided to
resign. This edited book looks to analyse the political aspects of
this event more specifically by trying to understand its political
significance for the country's policies, the prospects of
democratisation, the uniqueness of the transition compared with
others that have previously occurred in the region and how it may
play an influential part in future political transitions in this
part of the world. This book will interest scholars of
authoritarian politics, scholars of Central Asia, and those
researching the Belt and Road Initiative.
This Pivot updates the ideas of the famous political philosopher
from the Italian Renaissance, Machiavelli, for the 21st century,
using case studies from the West and from Kazakhstan to demonstrate
the utility of Machiavelli's ideas for contemporary political life.
In truth, Machiavelli's ideas have never lost their value. Although
"Machiavellian" as an adjective tends to describe amoral cynicism
in contemporary usage, Machiavelli's ideas were deeply ethical and
oriented towards achieving long-term goals. Contemporary readers
may be put off by medieval language and examples, misled into
believing Machiavelli speaks to a different age; and yet the author
here explores how Machiavellian strategy can be of value- ethical
as well as practical-in the 21st century.
This book examines Kazakhstan's struggle to distance itself from
its Soviet past over 25 years after its independence. To a very
large extent, the affirmation of its sovereignty and a unique
Kazakhstani way remain largely a matter of rhetoric. This book
looks to explain the various aspects that show the continuity of
Kazakhstan's political system and governance with its colonial
legacy, namely through its foreign policy, the country's
environmental policies, the judicial system, the management of
religious diversity, the way youth organizations are structured and
administered or how those who were born after the collapse of
Soviet Union are still showing a typical Soviet behavioral attitude
towards the political sphere. What are the reasons for this
reluctance or incapacity to break away from these ties of the past?
Will the unavoidable political transition that will bring new
individuals to the head of the state contribute to a real change?
Will this lead to a break with the country's past and a radical
shift in the country's policies or will things remain as they have
been since 1991? This book provides some valuable insights on what
may happen in the near future to the biggest country of Central
Asia.
We often think of the army as an institution whose members are
required to blindly obey all orders they receive. However, this
perception is inaccurate. Disobedience is a fundamental
professional obligation of members of the military and overrides
the obligation to follow commands. But what is the extent of this
obligation? Are soldiers obligated to participate in what they
consider to be an illegal war, or should they be allowed to enjoy a
right to selective conscientious objection? Should soldiers obey a
legal order that, if followed, would facilitate the perpetration of
war crimes by a third party? How should soldiers act if they are
ordered to follow a lawful order that could result in immoral
consequences? Should soldiers be allowed to refuse to obey what can
be labeled as suicidal orders? Based upon the nature of soldiers'
professional obligations, this book tries to offer answers to these
important questions. The author turns to a number of different
case-studies, including conscientious objections, duty to protect
in genocidal situations such as Rwanda and Srebrenica, suicidal
orders in wars, as well as retribution and leniency towards war
criminals, as a way of assessing the different legal and ethical
implications of disobedience in the military.
It is being said that we should all be proud of the way we are
confronting the Covid-19 pandemic. Rather than privileging profits
and trade, Western societies have made the noble decision to save
lives at all costs. Indeed, the logic that has prevailed is that
accepting any trade-off between saving lives and saving the economy
is an unacceptable and monstrous idea, which is why liberal
democracies worldwide have chosen to shutter businesses and force
people to self-quarantine in their homes as much and for as long as
possible. A vast majority of citizens and political leaders deemed
that acting otherwise would have been nothing else but pure moral
bankruptcy. Is it, however, possible that Western societies have
gone the wrong way by embracing this inherently basic and
impoverished version of life? The reason why a significant majority
of us are unable to see this truth is because of our refusal to
accept death and the tragic essence of human life which is the
result of the various cultural parameters we have grown accustomed
to over the past decades that followed WWII. The Covid-19 pandemic
has simply been the triggering factor that has allowed these
factors to reinforce the full strength they wield on our
understanding of life. Defined primarily by a fear of death, the
desire to prolong life as much as possible and minimize the hurdles
individuals have to face during their existence has created a beast
that is, in appearance, reassuring to the fearful creatures we have
become. This beast has asepticized societies that refute the tragic
nature of life and are willing to hinder individuals' freedom and
what makes our existence inherently humane. However, without
realizing it, this Leviathan that now takes the form of a "nanny
state" has altered our nature from individuals able and encouraged
to enjoy life to people whose only destiny is to simply survive for
as long as possible, without any other purpose than to avoid
anything that might jeopardize this objective.
The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed the serious crisis of political
authorities that liberal societies are currently experiencing.
Indeed, a significant number of individuals living in these
societies did not hesitate to defy the sanitary rules enacted by
their government which has made it difficult for them to stop the
virus from spreading. What can explain such a situation? This is
what this book is discussing. Whether it is the growing popularity
of conspiracy theories, the distrust towards governments or
cultural and religious beliefs that take precedence over the
respect of governments' directives, all these factors that have led
so many individuals to act in an irresponsible way during the
pandemic find their roots in the liberal tradition as it originated
in the 18th century and in its more recent development which has
had the effect of decentralizing the individual from his collective
responsibilities in favor of an almost unlimited enjoyment of his
individual freedom. This health crisis has revealed the urgency for
liberal societies to establish a better balance between collective
interest and individual freedom through responsible citizenship
capable of protecting its citizens against the adoption of
draconian measures when they will be struck again by upcoming
pandemics that appear to be unfortunately inevitable.
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