Fall 2013 (27.3) Feature

Nonproliferation: A Global Issue for a Global Ethic

A global ethic for the twenty-first century will be different from that of the twentieth century. While themes of normative and political continuity will exist, humankind's main moral challenges have changed. Between the two centuries lie the end of the cold war, the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the global financial crisis, and the double transformation of the structure of power in world politics and the norms of sovereignty and intervention. Nuclear weapons will remain high on the agenda of a global ethic, but they will not hold as dominant a place as they did in the past century. This essay, focused on the continuing moral challenge of nuclear weapons, recalls the intellectual and moral lessons of the last century and identifies three leading issues in nuclear ethics today: post-cold war challenges to nonproliferation and deterrence, the new challenges posed by the terrorist threat, and recent proposals for Going to Zero.

To read or purchase the full text of this article, click here.

More in this issue

Fall 2013 (27.3) Essay

Justice and Fairness in the Nuclear Nonproliferation Regime

This essay focuses on two key questions: First, how do the issues of justice and fairness affect the stability, durability, and effectiveness of the nuclear ...

Fall 2013 (27.3) Review

Just Business: Multinational Corporations and Human Rights by John Gerard Ruggie

This book offers an insider’s account of how the Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights came into being. Although readers may sometimes strain ...

Fall 2013 (27.3) Essay

The Threat of Nuclear Proliferation: Perception and Reality

The United States is right to be vigilant against the threat of nuclear proliferation. But such vigilance can all too easily lend itself to exaggeration ...