Main content start

Ethics, Law and War (POLISCI 315, PSYCH 383)

INTLPOL
250
Instructors
Weiner, A. (PI)
Sagan, S. (PI)
Section Number
1
(LAW 5051) In this class we will explore the ethical norms and international legal rules that influence decisions to go to war, the conduct of military operations in war, and mechanisms of accountability for violations of the laws of war. Questions we will address include the following: 1. What kinds of security threats or humanitarian dangers justify recourse to war? 2. In what kinds of conflicts does the moral and legal framework that governs war apply? 3. How do the "rules of war" apply in non-traditional, asymmetric conflicts between states and nonstate groups? 4. To what extent does international law reflect just war theory? How and when do they deviate from one another? 5. What are the main critical challenges to traditional just war theory and the legal regime governing the use of force? Students will write research papers in this class addressing how ethical and legal norms regarding war operate in such contexts as in government decision-making, in legal debates regarding the interpretation of the law, on the battlefield, and in courts and tribunals. In addition to class sessions led by the instructors, students will have the opportunity to present their work related to the research problem they will be addressing in their final research papers. Elements used in grading: Class participation, final paper.
Grading
Letter or Credit/No Credit
Units
3
Academic Career
Graduate
Course Tags
Contemporary Issues
Academic Year
Quarter
Spring
Section Days
Monday Wednesday
Start Time
4:15 PM
End Time
5:45 PM