War and Morality: Citizens' Rights and Duties

In democratic societies, it is said that wars and military interventions are fought in the name of the citizens of the nation engaged in the conflict. Yet, ordinary citizens, the major stakeholders in war, are seldom provided with as much information for making and acting on their moral decisions about war as they are about many other national issues that affect them. To fill the void, this volume addresses the nature of conscience, various moral norms, a moral decision-making process, and the theoretical and practical issues involved in attempting to avoid war or at least to make it as moral as possible, considering its nature.

By discussing how the morality of war differs from its political, military, economic and legal dimensions, this unique work attempts to enable citizens to make informed decisions about declaring, waging and ending war, and to act on those decisions.

Instructors considering this book for use in a course may request an examination copy here.

Michael Cavanagh, a professor of psychology and supervisor of clinical internships at Mount Olive College in North Carolina, has published extensively in the fields of psychology and law enforcement.