Posterity and Strategic Policy: A Moral Assessment of Nuclear Policy Options

In Posterity and Strategic Policy, a moral evaluation of current nuclear policy options, the author argues that policymakers have not paid enough attention to the moral questions that surround debate on the use of nuclear weapons. If we are to succeed in balancing our moral interest and our national interest, we must encourage the evaluation of nuclear issues from a humanitarian perspective. The author surveys three popular policy options and identifies the moral flaws of each. Contents: The Role of the Philosopher-as-Humanist in the Nuclear Debate; The Offensive Orientation of American Nuclear Weapons Policy; Morality, Risk, and Assured Destruction; The Foundations for a Strategic Policy in the Future; and Deterrence without Provocation: Implementing a Plan for Posterity.