The Ethics of Drone Warfare Cover Image

The Ethics of Drone Warfare
The Ethics of Drone Warfare

Author(s): Aleksandar Fatić
Subject(s): Ethics / Practical Philosophy, Security and defense, Military policy
Published by: Institut za filozofiju i društvenu teoriju
Keywords: effectivity; warfare; drones; technology; military ethics

Summary/Abstract: The paper investigates the compatibility of the modern technologies of warfare, specifically the use of offensive drones, with traditional military ethics and suggests that the new technologies radically change the value system of the military in ways which make large parts of the traditional military ethics inapplicable. The author suggests that Agamben’s concept of ‘effectivity’ through ‘special actions’ which mark one’s belonging to a particular community or profession is a useful conceptual strategy to explore the compatibility of drone warfare with traditional military ethics; this strategy shows mixed results at best.

  • Issue Year: 28/2017
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 349-364
  • Page Count: 16
  • Language: English