Description
On War and Democracy offers a profound exploration of the complex relationship between democratic values and the moral justifications for warfare. Authored by the insightful Christopher Kutz, this compelling book unpacks how democracies often invoke lofty principles to rationalize acts of war, leading to a critical and nuanced examination of their implications. Kutz argues that while democratic values are essential to our political framework, when misunderstood, they can paradoxically foster conditions that maximize war's violence, complicating our national and international engagements.
Through rich analysis, Kutz emphasizes the dire necessity for democracies to reframe their understanding of warfare—not as a tool for the expansion of liberty but as a concession that requires careful limitation and ethical scrutiny. He challenges us to reconsider not just how we wage war, but also the very justifications we employ, addressing the perils of remote warfare and surveillance, and advocating for institutional safeguards that protect fundamental values such as dignity and martial honor. This 2020 Princeton University Press publication is a must-read for scholars and policymakers alike, facilitating a vital dialogue on the future of democracy in contexts of conflict.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780691202365
Format: Trade paperback (US)
Year: 2020
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780691202365
Format: Trade paperback (US)
Year: 2020
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Description:
On War and Democracy provides a richly nuanced examination of the moral justifications democracies often invoke to wage war. In this compelling and provocative book, Christopher Kutz argues that democratic principles can be both fertile and toxic ground for the project of limiting war's violence. Only by learning to view war as limited by our democratic values-rather than as a tool for promoting them-can we hope to arrest the slide toward the borderless, seemingly endless democratic "holy wars" and campaigns of remote killings we are witnessing today, and to stop permanently the use of torture and secret law.
Kutz shows how our democratic values, understood incautiously and incorrectly, can actually undermine the goal of limiting war. He helps us better understand why we are tempted to believe that collective violence in the name of politics can be legitimate when individual violence is not. In doing so, he offers a bold new account of democratic agency that acknowledges the need for national defense and the promotion of liberty abroad while limiting the temptations of military intervention. Kutz demonstrates why we must address concerns about the means of waging war-including remote war and surveillance-and why we must create institutions to safeguard some nondemocratic values, such as dignity and martial honor, from the threat of democratic politics.
On War and Democracy reveals why understanding democracy in terms of political agency, not institutional process, is crucial to limiting when and how democracies use violence.
Through rich analysis, Kutz emphasizes the dire necessity for democracies to reframe their understanding of warfare—not as a tool for the expansion of liberty but as a concession that requires careful limitation and ethical scrutiny. He challenges us to reconsider not just how we wage war, but also the very justifications we employ, addressing the perils of remote warfare and surveillance, and advocating for institutional safeguards that protect fundamental values such as dignity and martial honor. This 2020 Princeton University Press publication is a must-read for scholars and policymakers alike, facilitating a vital dialogue on the future of democracy in contexts of conflict.
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780691202365
Format: Trade paperback (US)
Year: 2020
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Note: Shipping for this item is free. Please allow up to 6 weeks for delivery. Once your order is placed, it cannot be cancelled.
Condition: BRAND NEW
ISBN: 9780691202365
Format: Trade paperback (US)
Year: 2020
Publisher: Princeton University Press
Description:
On War and Democracy provides a richly nuanced examination of the moral justifications democracies often invoke to wage war. In this compelling and provocative book, Christopher Kutz argues that democratic principles can be both fertile and toxic ground for the project of limiting war's violence. Only by learning to view war as limited by our democratic values-rather than as a tool for promoting them-can we hope to arrest the slide toward the borderless, seemingly endless democratic "holy wars" and campaigns of remote killings we are witnessing today, and to stop permanently the use of torture and secret law.
Kutz shows how our democratic values, understood incautiously and incorrectly, can actually undermine the goal of limiting war. He helps us better understand why we are tempted to believe that collective violence in the name of politics can be legitimate when individual violence is not. In doing so, he offers a bold new account of democratic agency that acknowledges the need for national defense and the promotion of liberty abroad while limiting the temptations of military intervention. Kutz demonstrates why we must address concerns about the means of waging war-including remote war and surveillance-and why we must create institutions to safeguard some nondemocratic values, such as dignity and martial honor, from the threat of democratic politics.
On War and Democracy reveals why understanding democracy in terms of political agency, not institutional process, is crucial to limiting when and how democracies use violence.