Just War Against Terror: Ethics And The Burden Of American Power In A Violent World

Jean Bethke Elshtain has been hailed as one of this country's most influential public intellectuals. Michael Walzer called her award-winning Democracy on Trial "the work of a truly independent, deeply serious, politically engaged, and wonderfully provocative political theorist." These rare qualities are once again vividly in force in Just War Against Terrorism.In this hard-hitting book, Elshtain advocates "just war" in times of crisis and mounts a reasoned attack against the defenses of terrorism that have abounded since September 11. Arguing that those who defend terrorist acts on the basis of their "root causes"-poverty, political conflict, infringement of Western values on Islamic culture-minimize the responsibility of terrorists, Elshtain interrogates the sources of root-cause reasoning and traces them to a fundamental misunderstanding of the Judeo-Christian ethic of war and peace, compounded by "faux-pacifist" positions and retro-sixties cultural romance. Why, she asks, are pacifist alternatives so palpably inadequate? So implausible? Often so irresponsible? How indeed does one respond to acts of terror that constitute an act of war perpetrated against one's own citizenry? Advocating an ethic of responsibility, Elshtain forces us to ask tough questions not only about the nature of Islam but also about ourselves.Elegantly written and forcefully argued, Just War Against Terror offers a badly needed and refreshingly clear look at responses to terror in the modern world. Jean Bethke Elshtain has been hailed as one of this country's most influential public intellectuals. Michael Walzer called her award-winning Democracy on Trial'the work of a truly independent, deeply serious, politically engaged, and wonderfully provocative political theorist.'These rare qualities are once again vividly in force in Just War Against Terrorism. In this hard-hitting book, Elshtain advocates'just war'in times of crisis and mounts a reasoned attack against the defenses of terrorism that have abounded since September 11. Arguing that those who defend terrorist acts on the basis of their'root causes'-poverty, political conflict, infringement of Western values on Islamic culture-minimize the responsibility of terrorists, Elshtain interrogates the sources of root-cause reasoning and traces them to a fundamental misunderstanding of the Judeo-Christian ethic of war and peace, compounded by'faux-pacifist'positions and retro-sixties cultural romance. Why, she asks, are pacifist alternatives so palpably inadequate? So implausible? Often so irresponsible? How indeed does one respond to acts of terror that constitute an act of war perpetrated against one's own citizenry? Advocating an ethic of responsibility, Elshtain forces us to ask tough questions not only about the nature of Islam but also about ourselves. Elegantly written and forcefully argued, Just War Against Terror offers a badly needed and refreshingly clear look at responses to terror in the modern world. Introduction: Politics Is Not The Nursery -- What Happened On September 11? -- What Is At Stake? -- What Is A Just War? -- Is The War Against Terrorism Just? -- The Academy Responds To Terror -- Taking Terrorists At Their Word -- Where Is The Legacy Of Niebuhr And Tillich? -- The Pulpit Responds To Terror -- The Problem With Peace -- Encountering Islamist Fundamentalism -- States And Self-defense In A Dangerous Time -- American Power And Responsibility -- Epilogue: Four Brave Women -- Appendix: What We're Fighting For. Jean Bethke Elshtain. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 208-226) And Index. Elshtain (social and political ethics, U. of Chicago) makes a case for the use of military force to combat terrorism. Aimed at political scientists and the interested general reader, the text begins with an analysis of the meanings embedded in the different ways in which the terrorist attacks of September 11 have been described. Other topics include the requirements for a "just war," the responses of academics and clerics to terrorism, and the responsibility of the United States to defend its ideals The University of Chicago political philosopher applies "just war theory" to the war on terror and concludes that pacifism is an inappropriate response to the events of September 11, 2001. Dedication Contents Acknowledgments Introduction 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Epilogue Epilogue to the 2004 Edition Appendix Notes Index MANY RECALL A MEMORABLE line associated with Sergeant Joe Friday of the classic television series Dragnet.