Killing Bin Laden: A Moral Analysis - by B Strawser (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Killing bin Laden: A Moral Analysis is a short treatise on the possible ethical justification for the U.S. mission to kill Osama bin Laden. After rejecting the standard justifications most commonly used in support of the killing, Strawser ultimately argues that the killing was ethically permissible as an act of defensive harm on behalf of innocents. The book contends bin Laden was morally responsible for a collection of unjust threats such that he was liable to be killed. Moreover, the many unique features of the bin Laden case -such as the use of pre-emptive harm and the collective agency of al-Qaeda - do not defeat that liability. The monograph also includes discussions of the apparent violation of Pakistan's sovereignty and the morally dubious celebrations of bin Laden's death, among other morally relevant issues. "--

Book Synopsis

Strawser examines several possible ethical justifications for the killing of Osama bin Laden and finds nearly all of them wanting. One, however, he argues is sound: that bin Laden was liable to be killed as a necessary and proportionate act of defensive harm on behalf of innocent people.

Review Quotes

'Strawser's deft handling of complex philosophical issues as applied to the killing of Bin Laden is practical ethics at its very best: a must read for anyone with an interest (academic or not) in the controversial practice of targeted killing." - Professor Cécile Fabre, Senior Research Fellow, All Souls College, University of Oxford, UK

"Bradley Strawser's intricate, creative, and fascinating discussion of the killing of Osama bin Laden accomplishes two rare achievements: It advances a sophisticated and provocative argument which will be of interest to specialists in ethics and foreign policy and also provides students and general readers with a clear and accessible introduction into applied moral theory." - Professor Michael B. Skerker, Department of Leadership, Ethics, and Law; U.S. Naval Academy, USA

"Professor Strawser has written a clear and concise analysis about a highly contentious issue, namely Seal Team Six's killing of Osama bin Laden. Strawser presents the relevant background, then deftly applies recent developments in just-war theory to analyze the moral issues. His treatment is balanced and fair, and his contribution will define the terrain. I highly recommend this book to both students and to practitioners in the field." - Professor Fritz Allhoff, Department of Philosophy, Western Michigan University, USA

"A book as provocative as it is insightful; Strawser thoroughly analyses the complex ethics and subsequent decisionsassociated with one of the most significant events in the 21st Century. Anyone yearning to gain a better perspective regarding the ethics of warfare and 'hard' decision making will benefit from this read." - Colonel Guy LeMire, US Army, USA

About the Author

Dr. Bradley J. Strawser is Assistant Professor of Philosophy at the Naval Postgraduate School, USA, and Research Associate with Oxford University's Institute for Ethics, Law, and Armed Conflict. He recently published Opposing Perspectives on the Drone Debate, a point-counterpoint style book on the ethics of drones.