Just War Theory & Chemical/Biological Weapons

21 November 2007

Professor Larry May

For several thousand years, philosophers, lawyers, and theologians have developed a theory of the just war, where rules are set for deciding when a war should be fought and what tactics can be employed in war. During the entirety of that period chemical and biological weapons have been banned. In this public lecture, reasons are given for thinking that just war theory cannot support a complete ban on such weapons, unless a similar ban on the use of bombs is also endorsed.

Broad Topics: Arts and Social Sciences

Sub-topics: Law, Justice & Law Enforcement, Medical & Health Science, Policy & Political Science

Areas: ANU College of Medicine and Health Sciences

Larry May is Professor of Philosophy at Washington University in St. Louis and Research Professor of Social Justice at the Centre for Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics, here in Canberra. He has a BS in international affairs, MA and PhD degrees in philosophy, and a JD in law. He has published over 20 books, including three books on the normative foundations of international criminal law, all published by Cambridge University Press, which have recently won awards in both law and in philosophy.

Part of the 2007 Toyota-ANU Public Lecture Series