Author Description
Institutionalizing the Just War offers a new approach to thinking about the ethics of large-scale armed conflict. Allen Buchanan takes a unique approach to just war theory, arguing that theories that are content with articulating abstract moral norms specifying right acts of war-making, provide too little guidance for responding to the real world moral problems of war. Buchanan here instead takes an institutional approach, combining moral analysis with data on how institutions are designed, and providing concrete proposals for morally progressive innovations at the institutional level. Buchanan's institutional approach in this book - which is based on the revision of previously published essays -- is singular and will be of great interest not just to scholars of just war theory, but anyone interested in the morality of war within political science, political philosophy, philosophy of international law, and public policy.
Menrva's Summary
THE THESIS
How can institutional design improve the moral outcomes of large-scale armed conflict? Allen Buchanan, a scholar in political philosophy and international law, argues that traditional just war theory focuses too heavily on abstract moral norms at the expense of practical application. By integrating moral analysis with institutional design theory, he proposes concrete, progressive reforms to the structures governing international conflict to better address real-world moral challenges.
THE SCOPE MAP
What You Will Find
- Analysis of the limitations of current just war theory frameworks
- Proposals for institutional innovations in international law and governance
- Application of institutional design principles to military and political decision-making
Scope Limits
- Does not provide a comprehensive historical account of every past conflict
- Does not focus on individual combatant ethics, prioritizing systemic and institutional structures instead
THE AUTHORITY PERSPECTIVE
Scholars in political philosophy and international law view this work as a significant shift toward applied institutionalism in the study of war. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which is best suited for those already familiar with the foundational debates in just war theory.
Page Count:
333
Publication Date:
2018-01-01
ISBN-10:
0190878452
ISBN-13:
9780190878450
Philosophy
Professional Career & Trade
War Studies
Just war
International Law
Ethics
Public Policy
Political Philosophy