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The world responded with horror to ISIS's campaign of destruction of cultural heritage across the Middle East, including with calls for an international response to prevent such damage. At the same time, newspapers and screens were filled with images of human destruction, devastated cities, and thousands of refugees fleeing the conflict. This juxtaposition caused a backlash against those voicing their concerns about the destruction of ancient ruins, popularly framed as dispute about 'stone versus lives'. In the face of so much human suffering, it can seem inappropriate to worry about anything but the urgent, basic needs of people.Heritage and War addresses this issue within the context of a wider debate, amidst a range of moral questions. Eleven original essays investigate a variety of philosophical and moral questions arising from the phenomenon of heritage destruction in war, such how we ought to respond to heritage that is damaged in war, the nature of the harm caused by such damage, and the morally appropriate treatment of sites of war and conflict that have themselves become heritage sites. Such issues are philosophically rich, and yet they have been largely neglected by academic philosophers. This book makes a substantial contribution to developing this new philosophical territory and identifying the role that philosophers have to play in developing our understanding of and responses to these important issues.
This volume investigates the moral and philosophical tensions inherent in prioritizing cultural heritage preservation during active armed conflict. The authors, a team of scholars specializing in ethics and political philosophy, utilize a collection of eleven original essays to examine the ethical weight of heritage destruction. They argue that the perceived dichotomy between protecting human life and preserving cultural artifacts requires a more nuanced philosophical framework than current public discourse provides.
What You Will Find
Scope Limits
Experts identify this work as a foundational text for those seeking to bridge the gap between cultural heritage studies and normative ethics. Readers frequently note the academic density of the prose, which serves as a rigorous introduction to a previously neglected area of philosophical inquiry.
Page Count:
224
Publication Date:
2023-06-09
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
ISBN-10:
0192862642
ISBN-13:
9780192862648
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