2 March to 9 March

The ethics of nuclear threat: worthy of discussion?

Recently I attended the22^nd ISODARCO* course on disarmament and conflict, where I met many colleagues with huge expertise in relation to the development, deployment and dangers of nuclear weapons, and in the reasoning that has underpinned the nuclear careers of different countries. This was a wonderful event, during which I learned and thought a great deal about the arguments for and against missile defence, and about the ambivalence of nations who say that they want nuclear disarmament, but retain or seek nuclear capability, because they imagine that the possession of weapons with mind-boggling destructive power makes a country less liable to nuclear attack from others. However, I was surprised by one thing.

Though nuclear weapons fascinated most of the participants at ISODARCO, many if not most, would probably prefer that they had never existed. And yet we did not really address the ethics of nuclear threat, or ways in which the knowledge of those present might be used to make nuclear catastrophe less likely. These are things that I am keen to discuss with colleagues at Leeds Met, both those who have technical knowledge of these things, and those whose concern, like mine, is primarily focused on ethical questions. 

Gavin Fairbairn, Running Stream Professor of Ethics and Language, School of Applied Global Ethics

*ISODARCO (International School on Disarmament and Research on Conflicts) courses are staged by the Italian Pugwash Group.