Utilitarianism and the Ethics of War

Reviews / Votes

'William H. Shaw's Utilitarianism and the Ethics of War is a terrific book that will enlighten readers interested in moral problems about warfare as well as friends and foes of utilitarian moral theory.' -- Stephen Nathanson, Emeritus Professor, Northeastern University, USA

'In this important new work, Professor Shaw reflects not simply upon what states and their leaders actually consider or how they actually reason when declaring and conducting armed conflict, he offers convincing arguments regarding what they are also obliged to consider, and how they ought to reason about war and its consequences in terms of its overall impact on the welfare of their citizens and of society at large. While such utilitarian considerations traditionally infuse "just war" reasoning unsystematically, Shaw's is the first explicitly systematic treatment by an eminent utilitarian moral philosopher of just exactly how considerations of well-being and the common good offer the most useful and advantageous analysis of war's likely impact and permissibility. This is a significant revision and clarification of just war reasoning generally that ought to be read by every serious scholar or student of political theory, international relations, or moral philosophy.' -- George Lucas, Emeritus Professor, U.S. Naval Academy

'William Shaw provides a cogent, compelling, and comprehensive account of the ethics of war, arguing persuasively that utilitarianism provides the most satisfactory basis for answering questions both about the justification of going to war, and about the ethical limits of conduct in war. This book provides a much-needed counterpoint to the deontological approaches that dominate contemporary discussion of military ethics.' -- Alastair Norcross, University of Colorado, USA

'Shaw's Utilitarianism and the Ethics of War masterfully develops utilitarian prescriptions about when wars should be fought and about what are the rules that commanders and lower-ranked military personnel should follow in wars. Especially impressive are Shaw's explanations of how utilitarianism underwrites the principles of just war theory. This is a very wise book.' -- Brad Hooker, University of Reading, UK

'Shaw's book deserves praise for several reasons. It is reader-friendly, well researched, organized, and argued. Most importantly it reminds us that although utilitarianism has been assassinated repeatedly both recently and in the past, miraculously, it is still alive and well.' -- Nick Fotion, Emory University, Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews

'The volume is clear, carefully argued, and thorough in its discussion of the literature on the morality of war.' Summing Up: Highly recommended.' -- Choice, J. H. Spence, Adrian College (CHOICE Outstanding Academic Title for 2017)