Summary Of Just War Theory

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Summary of Applying the Rules of Just War Theory in the Arms Industry Author Aaron Fichtelberg expresses how Engineering ethics and Army ethics are cohesive entities that are treated as polar bodies. The U.S. Army has been ever growing machine fueled by patriotism and what is known as the Industrial Military Complex (Fichtelberg 690,692). The author Aaron Fichtelberg is trying to decipher how private engineers who create weapons for the military are ethically and morally responsible for the weapons they create. In this article the author tries to bring light of the responsibilities engineers have as professionals. An engineer has moral obligations that s/he must oblige by to ensure the general safety of the public as defined by the NSPE Code …show more content…

From these entities, the private engineers and the DOD connect however, their moral and ethical standards are disconnected (Fichtelberg 686). The manufacturing industry of weapons, follow ethical standards that disregard how the military will be using them. Arms manufacturers are responsible for how they create the weapons and the engineers must ensure that they follow a system of Just War. The just war theory is broken up into jus ad bellum and jus in bello. Which is why and by what means will a war be conducted (Fichtelberg …show more content…

The biggest topic I noticed was the definition of a professional and specifically autonomy (Miller 168). Engineers are professionals because they have autonomy and have the option of saying no when ethical situations are in question. If an engineer loses this autonomy s/he is no longer a professional. Another key part related to our course is the intrinsic and instrumental value. Intrinsic value which can link back to happiness or emotional feelings is the primary goal of an instrumental value (Miller 36). The Industrial Military Complex uses warfare around the world for the means of economic growth. This here in the principle of respect (Dr. Koperski). The Industrial Military complex or combined political power is exploiting the world by means of war for economic growth. This idea if analyzed ethically using the ethical filter discussed in class would be impermissible. It fails the principle of respect by bringing about death which fails the Right to Life, and the Security of One’s Person by fear of torture, cruelty and

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