Terry Nardin is Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He is the
author of Law, Morality, and the Relations of the States (Princeton) and coeditor, with David R. Mapel,
of Traditions of International Ethics and International Society: Diverse Ethical Perspectives.
Review
"It is apparent that discussions in the international arena, of justice in general and war in particular,
will have to pay increasing attention to a diversity of religious views. With this growing awareness of religion
in mind, the appearance of The Ethics of War and Peace is fortuitous."
--Shaun Casey, Religion & Values in Public Life (Harvard Divinity Bulletin)
Submitted by the Publisher, April, 2002
Summary
A superb introduction to the ethical aspects of war and peace, this collection of tightly integrated essays
explores the reasons for waging war and for fighting with restraint as formulated in a diversity of ethical traditions,
religious and secular. Beginning with the classic debate between political realism and natural law, this book seeks
to expand the conversation by bringing in the voices of Judaism, Islam, Christian pacifism, and contemporary feminism.
In so doing, it addresses a set of questions: How do the adherents to each viewpoint understand the ideas of war
and peace? What attitudes toward war and peace are reflected in these understandings? What grounds for war, if
any, are recognized within each perspective? What constraints apply to the conduct of war? Can these constraints
be set aside in situations of extremity? Each contributor responds to this set of questions on behalf of the ethical
perspective he or she is presenting. The concluding chapters compare and contrast the perspectives presented without
seeking to adjudicate their differences. Because of its inclusive, objective, comparative, and dialogic approach,
the book serves as a valuable resource for scholars, journalists, policymakers, and anyone else who wants to acquire
a better understanding of the range of moral viewpoints that shape current discussion of war and peace. In addition
to the editor, the contributors are Joseph Boyle, Michael G. Cartwright, Jean Bethke Elshtain, John Finnis, Sohail
H. Hashmi, Theodore J. Koontz, David R. Mapel, Jeff McMahan, Richard B. Miller, Aviezer Ravitzky, Bassam Tibi,
Sarah Tobias, and Michael Walzer.
Table of Contents
Preface
Contributors
Introduction
Ch. 1 The Ethics of War and Peace in the Catholic Natural Law Tradition
Ch. 2 Just War Thinking in Catholic Natural Law
Ch. 3 Realism and the Ethics of War and Peace
Ch. 4 Realism, Morality, and War
Ch. 5 War and Peace in the Jewish Tradition
Ch. 6 Prohibited Wars in the Jewish Tradition
Ch. 7 War and Peace in Islam
Ch. 8 Interpreting the Islamic Ethics of War and Peace
Ch. 9 Christian Nonviolence: An Interpretation
Ch. 10 Conflicting Interpretations of Christian Pacifism
Ch. 11 Is There a Feminist Tradition on War and Peace?
Ch. 12 Toward a Feminist Ethic of War and Peace
Ch. 13 The Comparative Ethics of War and Peace
Ch. 14 Divine Justice, Evil, and Tradition: Comparative Reflections
