16 March to 23 March

Reflecting on nuclear war: the only way to win the game is not to play

Gavin Fairbairn recently raised the ethics of nuclear disarmament. Given that we cannot 'un-invent' nuclear weapons, we have to do the best we can, knowing that despite what we know about them, as a species we still retain the potential to destroy the earth - several times over. Perpetuating the myth of a 'successful first strike' is like the gambler's unreasoning faith in winning the last hand every time. Can it really be true that all the brightest and best of humanity can do in response to the work of organisations like CND and Pugwash, is to recycle and finesse the antique madness of 'mutually assured destruction? As a philosophy this is as insane an idea as allowing bankers the same financial reward for success as for failure.

Whatever the circumstances, would it ever be right to launch hellfire and obliterate a significant proportion of the earth and its inhabitants? The ethical cost of launching would surely detonate the soul before the mushroom cloud of wonder had reached its mega tonne peak. Trite it may be, but a paraphrase of the closing words to the film Wargames still rings true: 'The only way to win this game, is not to play'.

Dave Hufton, Centenary PhD student, School of Applied Global Ethics