by Medea Benjamin (2012)
Weeks after the 2002 American invasion of Afghanistan, Medea Benjamin visited that country. There, on the ground, talking with victims of the strikes, she learned the reality behind the "precision bombs" on which U.S. forces were becoming increasingly reliant. Now, with the use of drones escalating at a meteoric pace, Benjamin has written this book as a call to action: "It is meant to wake a sleeping public," she writes, "lulled into thinking that drones are good, that targeted killings are making us safer." Drone Warfare is a comprehensive look at the growing menace of robotic warfare, with an extensive analysis of who is producing the drones, where they are being used, who "pilots" these unmanned planes, who are the victims and what are the legal and moral implications. In vivid, readable style, the book also looks at what activists, lawyers and scientists are doing to ground the drones, and ways to move forward. In reality, writes Benjamin, the assassinations we are carrying out via drones will come back to haunt us when others start doing the same thing-to us.
James M. Humber and Robert F. Almeder
A panel of philosophers, ethicists, feminists, and historians examine the moral issues posed by stem cell research, and introduce the principle arguments for and against such research. The book attempts to offer both a balanced presentation and thoughtful critiques of the main arguments in the debate.
Mitchell Land, Bill W. Hornaday
"When America's mass media communicators confront complex ethical dilemmas, they usually take a utilitarian approach--which means they make decisions based upon "the greatest good for the greatest number." Although the utilitarian approach has many strengths, critics point out that the final arbiter of what is best for the community falls upon the individual communicator, who is not always in a good position to make such a determination. In contrast, a communitarian approach emphasizes community values as the final arbiter of a moral dilemma. Mass communicators should make decisions based on the values of the community rather than upon anticipated consequences or personal ethics. But, critics point out, what is community? A neighborhood, a city, a state, or a nation? And what if a "community" has a conflicting set of values? Which one should dominate, and who has the right to choose? Many media ethics textbooks lean toward one model or the other.^ But Contemporary Media Ethics uses both perspectives to understand and resolve ethical dilemmas that mass communicators face. The three chapters in the first section of the book ("Foundations") examine the history and philosophy of the utilitarian and communitarian perspectives, focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of both. Then the remaining 23 chapters, which are written by leading media scholars and media professionals, apply both of these perspectives to real-world cases that deal with terrorism, AIDS, racial justice, environmental activism, homosexuality, sex in advertising, public relations, and the First Amendment. In Contemporary Media Ethics, readers also are introduced to the "Point-of-Decision Pyramid Model"--A new method for ethical decision-making developed by the editors that emphasizes a philosophical foundation as a starting point.^ This deductive approach is contrasted with the more inductive approach implied by the Potter Box, thus giving this book a unique niche in the media ethics textbook market."--Publisher's website.
Kim Masters Evans
A compilation of current and historical statistics with analysis on U. S. national security, including a comprehensive summary of up-to-date research on the topic. Data are compiled from reports generated by branches of the U.S. government, information collected by major independent polling organizations and authoritative associations, and from professional journals, newspapers, pamphlets, and other reliable sources.
Jesper Ryberg, J. Angelo Corlett
This collection of original contributions by philosophers working in the ethics of punishment presents the reader with new perspectives on various interesting and relevant topics including: punishment and discrimination, punishment and forgiveness, punishment and rehabilitation, punishment and public opinion, punishment and restitution, punishment and tortur, e punishment and dignity /from the publisher's website.