COLLEGE 109: Rules of War

Course Description

What ethical norms influence decisions to go to war and the conduct of military operations in war? How are those ethical values reflected in legal rules that govern war? What kinds of security threats or humanitarian dangers justify recourse to force? What are the values and rules that protect civilians and non-combatants in armed conflict? How do these rules apply in non-traditional, asymmetric conflicts between states and terrorist and other non-state groups? How do we determine in which kinds of conflicts to apply the moral and legal framework that governs war?