The last hundred years have seen brutal wars, murderous totalitarian regimes, genocide, and nuclear weapons. But we have also witnessed - to a certain extent because of the facts just mentioned - an unprecedented development of international law, a resurgence of interest in international ethics and the ethics of war, humanitarian initiatives on a large scale, and the founding of international organizations such as the United Nations, designed to foster peace and international cooperation. The ethical appraisal of war has a long history in Western political thought, and encompasses several different approaches, including the traditions known as realism, pacifism, and just war. Examining the most representative writings on the ethics of war, by a range of authors (Plato, Augustine, Aquinas, Vitoria, Rousseau, Kant, Walzer, and others) in these different traditions and with application to contemporary issues (terrorism, humanitarian intervention, preventive war, etc.), is the principal aim of this course.
Learning Outcomes
Upon successful completion, students will have the knowledge and skills to:
Upon successful completion of the course, students will be versed with the historical and contemporary debates about how war should, and is, conducted. They will be able to situate these opinions within a broader appreciation of the historical and political origins of these debates. Finally, they will have learnt of the role of various international efforts to structure how warfare progresses, and the successes and failures therein.Other Information
Delivery Mode
ANU Winter session 2010. The classes are run from mid August to mid December at Björknes College in Oslo, Norway.
Indicative Assessment
5,000 - 6,000 words of written assessment, comprising essays, seminar papers, class participation, and an examination, as deemed appropriate by the lecturer.
The ANU uses Turnitin to enhance student citation and referencing techniques, and to assess assignment submissions as a component of the University's approach to managing Academic Integrity. While the use of Turnitin is not mandatory, the ANU highly recommends Turnitin is used by both teaching staff and students. For additional information regarding Turnitin please visit the ANU Online website.
Workload
9 hours per week: three for seminar attendance, and six for reading and writing. Please note this is a general guide, averaged over the semester and the final hours ultimately depend on the individual's ability in reading and writing.
Preliminary Reading
Walzer, Just and Unjust Wars, Chapters 1 - 3.
Fees
Tuition fees are for the academic year indicated at the top of the page.
If you are a domestic graduate coursework or international student you will be required to pay tuition fees. Students continuing in their current program of study will have their tuition fees indexed annually from the year in which you commenced your program. Further information for domestic and international students about tuition and other fees can be found at Fees.
- Student Contribution Band:
- 1
- Unit value:
- 6 units
If you are an undergraduate student and have been offered a Commonwealth supported place, your fees are set by the Australian Government for each course. At ANU 1 EFTSL is 48 units (normally 8 x 6-unit courses). You can find your student contribution amount for each course at Fees. Where there is a unit range displayed for this course, not all unit options below may be available.
| Units | EFTSL |
|---|---|
| 6.00 | 0.12500 |
Course fees
- Domestic fee paying students
| Year | Fee | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1994-2003 | $2412 | |
| 2014 | $2808 | |
| 2013 | $2808 | |
| 2012 | $2808 | |
| 2011 | $2778 | |
| 2010 | $2718 | |
| 2009 | $2670 | |
| 2008 | $2670 | |
| 2007 | $2670 | |
| 2006 | $2646 | |
| 2005 | $2532 | |
| 2004 | $2412 |
- International fee paying students
| Year | Fee |
|---|---|
| 1994-2003 | $2412 |
| 2014 | $2808 |
| 2013 | $2808 |
| 2012 | $2808 |
| 2011 | $2808 |
| 2010 | $2718 |
| 2009 | $2670 |
| 2008 | $2670 |
| 2007 | $2670 |
| 2006 | $2646 |
| 2005 | $2532 |
| 2004 | $2412 |
Offerings, Dates and Class Summary Links
ANU utilises MyTimetable to enable students to view the timetable for their enrolled courses, browse, then self-allocate to small teaching activities / tutorials so they can better plan their time. Find out more on the Timetable webpage.
Class summaries, if available, can be accessed by clicking on the View link for the relevant class number.
First Semester
| Class number | Class start date | Last day to enrol | Census date | Class end date | Mode Of Delivery | Class Summary |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4793 | 17 Feb 2014 | 07 Mar 2014 | 31 Mar 2014 | 30 May 2014 | In Person | N/A |