When does morality win?

Research output: Contribution to journalReview articlepeer-review

Abstract

I describe a case involving two countries at war, Benevolentia and Malevoran. Malevoran is an unjust aggressor, which does not follow the requirements of the prevailing morality of warfare. The leadership and army of Benevolentia closely follow those requirements, and as a direct result Benevolentia loses. I claim that this is a reductio of the prevailing morality of warfare: in the victory of Malevoran over Benevolentia morality has lost. I draw some tentative conclusions concerning the morality of warfare, and urge that we need to gain a richer understanding of what it means for morality to win, see this as a distinct and important moral consideration, and think afresh how morality can triumph much more often.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)102-110
Number of pages9
JournalRatio
Volume23
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Mar 2010

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • Philosophy

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