This unit entry is for students who completed this unit in 2016 only. For students planning to study the unit, please refer to the unit indexes in the the current edition of the Handbook. If you have any queries contact the managing faculty for your course or area of study.

ATS2640 - The ethics of global conflict

6 points, SCA Band 1, 0.125 EFTSL

Undergraduate - Unit

Refer to the specific census and withdrawal dates for the semester(s) in which this unit is offered.

Faculty

Arts

Organisational Unit

Philosophy

Coordinator(s)

Professor Rob Sparrow

Offered

Caulfield

First semester 2016 (Day)

Clayton

First semester 2016 (Day)
Second semester 2016 (Day)

Notes

The unit may be offered as part of the Summer Arts ProgramSummer Arts Program (http://www.monash.edu/students/courses/arts/summer-program.html).

Synopsis

When, if ever, is warfare justified? What about humanitarian intervention? What about violent revolution and terrorism? Why should civilians be protected in conflict? This unit will introduce students to theoretical approaches to the ethics of conflict that will allow them to answer these difficult questions. It will also serve to introduce students to basic ideas in moral and political philosophy. No background in philosophy is required: merely an interest in rational argument applied to global conflict.

Outcomes

Students successfully completing this unit will:

have a high level of understanding of the central ideas of just war theory
appreciate a wide variety of criticisms of just war theory
understand the connections between human rights and war
have developed the ability to apply theories of justice in conflict to actual cases from recent history
be able to develop and critically assess arguments about the justification of violence in the pursuit of political ends
have improved their ability to effectively communicate about complex issues in international affairs
have developed their ability to conduct independent research on topics of international justice.

Assessment

Within semester assessment: 70%
Exam: 30%

Workload requirements

Minimum total expected workload to achieve the learning outcomes for this unit is 144 hours per semester typically comprising a mixture of scheduled learning activities and independent study. A unit requires on average three/four hours of scheduled activities per week. Scheduled activities may include a combination of teacher directed learning, peer directed learning and online engagement.