Week Five SeminarTerrorism

HU245 Ethics

New Business!Discussion Thread: Capital Punishment

One thread this week

Unit 5 AssignmentLetter to Your Leader

Option A: Compose a letter to the President regarding the current war. In this letter, explain your position regarding the ethics of war and responses to terrorism. In your explanation, be sure to draw upon ethical concepts and reasonings to support your position. State what you believe should be done and why. The letter should be one page in length, double spaced, and free of grammatical errors.

Option B: Compose a letter to your state governor regarding the death penalty. In this letter, explain your position regarding capital punishment. In your explanation, be sure to draw upon ethical concepts and reasoning to support your position. State whether or not the death penalty should be abolished and why.

 Due Tuesday 6/15 before midnight.

TerrorismHow do you define it?How do terrorists define it?Does terrorism always involve overt

violence? What are some of the ways power is

involved?

One DefinitionThe U.S. Code of Federal Regulations defines

terrorism in the U.S. as:The unlawful use of force and violence

against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives (28 C.F.R. Section 0.85).

--war against civilians

Goals of TerrorismEconomic AimsSocial AimsPolitical AimsReligious Aims

Terrorist or Freedom Fighter?What is the difference?Is it relative?Does accepting this distinction require one

accept at least some universal moral principles?

An Argument for TerrorismTerrorism may be the only means of

waging war at the disposal of those who are disenfranchised, marginalized, oppressed. In some cases non-violent means won’t or haven’t worked. Innocent lives may be taken but the cause is more important.

Is this a good argument? Why or why not?What sort of ethical reasoning is being used?

An Argument Against TerrorismTerrorism involves excessive violence and is often

aimed at those who are civilians. Terrorist activity is not justified by just war theory.

Augustine’s Just War TheoryThe war must be for a just causeThe war in question must have a just intentionThe war in question must be engaged in as a last resortThe war in question must be initiated with a formal declaration

by those with the authority to make such decisionsThe war in question must be characterized by limited objectivesThe war in question must be conducted with proportionate

meansThe war in question must respect noncombatant immunity.

Under what circumstances is terrorism justified? Are there any?

 What sorts of responses to terrorism are morally permissible?

How Should We Treat Suspected Terrorists?Is it ethical to use torture?Should they be treated like combatants or

accused criminals?How “rough” is too rough?

A Fun Thought ExperimentThe Ticking Time Bomb

Suppose a terrorist is free in NYC with a nuclear weapon. Government agents are able to capture one of the terrorist’s partners. They have good reason to believe that the partner knows where the bomb will be hidden. Furthermore, the agents have reason to believe the bomb will be set of within 5 hours.

Do the agents have a right to torture the person to get the information?

Does this show that torture is not always wrong?How can we know when the case is not severe

enough to justify torture?

What ethical principles determine which responses are appropriate?

Utilitarian considerationsEthical egoismJusticeRights and libertyVirtue

Are there any peaceful solutions to terrorism? If so, what are they?

Questions and Comments?