2. Upcoming Events Vann Center for Ethics “Physicians’ Integrity and Ties to Industry” by Lance Stell, Philosophy and Medical Humanities Sept 17, 12:00 noon, C.Shaw Smith 900 Room “Trash Talk: The Why & How of Sustainable Waste Disposal” with David Martin, Economics; Beth Christenbury, Purchasing; and Kealy Devoy, Sustainability Oct 5, 4:00 pm, Knobloch Campus Center Room 302 “Can a Counter-Terrorism Strategy Be Both Successful and Moral?” by Jeff Holzgrefe, Emory University School of Law Oct 14, 8:00 pm, C.Shaw Smith 900 Room Co-sponsored by Dean Rusk International Studies Program “Healthcare Reform: Politics, Economics, and Ethics” with Pat Sellers, Political Science; Michael Lawlor, Wake Forest University; and Rosamond Rhodes, Mt. Sinai School of Medical Nov 5, 7:00 pm, Lilly Family Gallery Co-sponsored by Medical Humanities “Ethics and War in the Islamic Tradition” by Sohail Hashmi, Mt. Holyoke College Nov 19, 12:00 noon, C.Shaw Smith 900 Room

3. Eastern Traditions  Basic principle of ahimsa or nonharm, grounds for strict pacifism in certain Hindu castes and among Buddhists  Hinduism traditionally had a whole caste of warriors (Ksatrias) expected to use force  Chivalric limits on killing noncombatants  Buddhism developed justifications for defending the community with force, if the evil prevented will be greater than the evil incurred in killing  But Buddhists anticipate some karmic punishment even when they use force justly

4. Judaism  This tradition views God as compassionate and just, but not requiring absolute nonviolence  Some scriptural verses permit violence only as strict retributive justice, no collective punishment  But other passages mandate total holy war against idolaters  However, modern Jewish authorities forbid direct attacks on noncombatants

5. Christianity  Challenges of interpreting Jesus’ teachings: “Love enemies,” “Don’t retaliate against evil,” “Turn the other cheek,” vs. permitting disciples to carry swords, and not urging soldiers to leave their profession  Early Christian pacifism: faithful absolutely prohibited from killing by Tertullian, Origen et al.  Emergence and development of just-war tradition: Ambrose, Augustine and Aquinas permitted limited uses of force by Christians in defense of the innocent  But the Crusades were characterized by indiscriminate, total war against Muslims (and Jews)

6. Islam  This tradition views God as compassionate and just, but not as requiring absolute nonviolence  Jihad means struggle/effort, spiritual and physical, includes but goes beyond holy war  Some limits on legitimate killing established by the Prophet Mohammed  A generic principle of noncombatant immunity emerged later in the tradition  Contemporary challenge of countering extremists who ignore those limits

7. Moderates in all religions can agree:  Prima facie right of all people not to be killed  Use nonviolent means to resolve disputes first, not war  Even when war is justified, don’t target noncombatants  Treat captured soldiers humanely  Hold accountable those who commit atrocities

8. For further reading:  Sohail Hashmi and Stephen Lee, eds., Ethics and Weapons of Mass Destruction: Religious and Secular Perspectives  David Perry, Partly Cloudy: Ethics in War, Espionage, Covert Action, and Interrogation  Gregory Reichberg et al., eds., The Ethics of War: Classic and Contemporary Readings  Michael Walzer, Just and Unjust Wars

9. www.davidson.edu/ethics ethics@davidson.edu x2095 Eu Hall