PHL 343.101 (20968) “Peace and Conflict”
York College, Spring 2012
HUM 207: MWF 10:00 - 10:50 AM
Dr. David Wayne Layman
Office Hours: MWF MWF 9:30-10 AM;
Telephone: 717-606-5270 (cell)
12:00-12:30 PM
Email: dwlayman@me.com
Office: HUM 167
Website: http://web.mac.com/dwlayman/Site/YCP.html
Email: dlayman@ycp.edu
Textbooks
• Christopher, Paul. The Ethics of War & Peace: An Introduction to Legal and Moral Issues. Third Edition. Pearson Prentice
Hall, 1999.
• White, James E. Contemporary Moral Problems: War, Terrorism, Torture and Assassination. 4th Edition. Wadsworth, 2012.
• (optional) Blainey, Geoffrey. The Causes of War. Third Edition. Free Press, 1988.
• Links to or downloadable versions of the readings not found in the textbooks can be found at the instructor’s web site (see
above).
Catalog description: A study of central concerns related to war and peace from an ethical perspective. The course will deal with
ethical principles regarding war, and consider such issues as human rights, the causes of violence, ecological disorders,
population problems and distribution of global resources, from an ethical standpoint.
Course Requirements and Grade Determination
 Grades will be based on three types of assignments: daily “Class Preparations,” 4 “Reports”,
and 2 Essays.
Class Preparations
 Before each class period (with the exception of days when major assignments are due), the
student is to respond to a question about that day’s readings. These questions are below, in the
“Course Calendar.”
 The student must purchase a supply of 4 x 6 note cards. The class preparation is to fit on the
card—approximately 150-200 words.
 If the student is not in class, then that day’s class preparation will not be accepted, except for
absences that are both pre-arranged and excused (e.g., hospital stay, illness, death in the
immediate family—trips or early breaks are not excused). The preparations will not be
accepted from another student.
 For full credit, the student must complete 31 out of 34. Extra credit will be given for up to 2
preparations (total of 33 preparations).
Reports
The student is to report on one of the following:
 A current event;
 An opinion piece (editorial, commentary, “blog” entry, television discussion)
 A book (a “book report”)
 A journal monograph or magazine essay.
 Generally speaking, each report should be on a topic relevant to each section of the course. E.g.: (#1)
causes of violence or war; (#2) did the Iraqi/Afghan wars meet “just-war” criteria?; (#3) the United
Nations or international law; (#4) terrorist activities, or responses to terrorism.
 The Reports are to be a minimum of 2 full pages long, and otherwise meet the Technical
Requirements described below. I suggest a maximum length of 4 pages.
 If the report is on a current event, newspaper article, “blog” entries, and similar ephemera, a
copy of the source of the report must accompany the reports.

PHL 343.101 (“Peace and Conflict”) Spring 2012
page 2
Essays
Choose 1 of the topics for each essay; you do not have to answer every single question of a topic.
Alternatives can be negotiated.
Suggested Topics for Essay #1
 What causes violence and war? Analyze and critique the work of Azar Gat and /or Blainey.
 Describe just war theory, explaining how it developed out of its antecedent parts.
 Respond to the claim of James Turner Johnson that just war theory is a “synthesis” of “Christian and
Roman values” (Christopher, p. 22). Do you agree or disagree? Defend your reasoning with examples
and logic. Is this synthesis coherent (do its parts “fit together”)?
 Critique some aspect of the just war theory. Does it truly explain how to execute a just (right, or
morally good) war? Is “just war” an oxymoron (a contradiction in terms)?
 Analyze and critique the concept of “double effect.” Is it coherent? Ethical? Does it solve the problems
it claims to solve? Why or why not?
Suggested Topics for Essay #2
 Does international law really exist? Can it solve the problem of war? Discuss the relation between
international law and international morality as raised by Christopher, pp. 106-114, esp. p. 114.
 Is the United Nations an effective tool for the promotion of peace? Why or why not? How would you
respond to someone who says that the USA ought to withdraw its support from the UN, or that the UN
ought to be abolished?
 When is pacifism and/or non-violence productive in bringing about a more peaceful world? What is
(are) its (their) limitations? Attempt to answer the question: a person ought (or, ought not) to be a
pacifist (non-violent) because….
 What is terrorism? Evaluate “terrorism” from a just war perspective. What should be the response of
“civilized” nations towards terrorism?
Documentation
 The default form of documentation is MLA. However, the student is free to choose his or her
preferred version of documentation. The key thing: be consistent.
 If the student has no preference, quotations or paraphrases of a source are noted in the
following form: “...fake quote here (Christopher, 111).”
 If a single paragraph is paraphrased from a range of pages of some source(s), the student can
summarize the sources at the end of the paragraph in the following manner: ...fake quote here
(Christopher, 111-114, 120; White, 24).
 The student must have a minimum of five (5) citations.
 If the student quotes from sources other than those assigned in class, he/she must give a
“Works Cited”. If he/she is using the instructor’s form of bibliography, follow the form
exemplified in “Textbooks” in this syllabus.
An excellent paper:
 has no errors of spelling, grammar, or punctuation.
 The writing is clear, easy to understand, and avoids complicated sentence structure.
 It states a thesis in the opening paragraph, develops that thesis in the body of the paper, and
summarizes the thesis in the conclusion.
 It demonstrates an understanding of the ideas it discusses and clearly explains those ideas.
 It quotes sources succinctly and explains and develops the ideas found in those sources.
 It shows originality of thought and insight.
PHL 343.101 (“Peace and Conflict”) Spring 2012
page 3
Technical requirements for essays and report. Each paper:
1. Must have a separate cover page, to include the following information:
a. Name
b. Course Number (“PHL 343”)
c. “Report # (correct number) or “Essay # ...” (correct number)
d. You may, at your discretion include a title and/or date.
e. Do not repeat this information at the top of page 1.
f. Do not place the essay in a folder or holder
2. Minimum page length is 6 pages. Shorter Essays will be automatically penalized. This page
requirement does not include the title page and “Works Cited” page, if there is one. (Page
requirement for the Reports is stated separately, above.)
3. Must have one inch margins on all sides;
4. Must be double–spaced (not 1-1/2 space); each paragraph must be indented; there
5. Must use a 12–pt. size font, preferably a standard “serif” font such as Times New Roman
or Cambria (if you use Courier, the essay must be a minimum of 9 pages);
6. Must not be formatted with fully justified margins.
York College Writing Standards:
“Students enrolled in this course are expected to use literate and effective English in their speech and in their
writing. All paper submitted must be well written; grades on written work (including examinations) will be based on
expression as well as on content. Students may be required to rewrite papers which are marred by errors in grammar,
punctuation, spelling, or organization.”
Final Grade Determination
 The aggregate of Class Preparations will count for 20% (again, based on a total of 31
preparations).
 Each Report is 9% of the final grade. (In aggregate, the Reports will be worth 36%.)
 Each Essay is 22% of the final grade. (In aggregate, the Essays will be worth 44%.)
The final grading scale:
90.0% and above =
4
85.0% to 89.9% =
3.5
80.0% to 84.9% =
3
75.0% to 79.9% =
2.5
69.5% to 74.9% =
2
59.5% to 69.4% =
1
below 59.5% =
0
(Excellent)
(Very good)
(Good)
(Above Average)
(Average)
(Below Average)
(Failure)
Attendance is included in the Class Preparations.
Academic Dishonesty:
The York policy on dishonesty reads in part: “When an instructor believes that a student has committed an act
of academic dishonesty, the instructor must provide written notification to the student, the Department Chair, and
the Dean of Academic Affairs of the charge and the sanction. Documentation related to instances of academic
dishonesty will be kept on file in the student’s permanent record. If the academic dishonesty is the student’s first
offense, the instructor will have the discretion to decide on a suitable sanction up to a grade of 0 for the course.
Students are not permitted to withdraw from a course in which they have been accused of academic dishonesty.”
It should be noted that if the instructor determines that a student has plagiarized an essay off of a web site (e.g.,
“Cheathouse.com”), that student will receive a “0” on that essay, and will not be allowed to submit another essay in
its place. In most cases, this will cause a student to fail the course.
Incompletes will be given only when a student cannot complete the requirements because of a serious medical or
family emergency. Those requirements must completed within 45 days of the formal end of the semester.
PHL 343.101 (“Peace and Conflict”) Spring 2012
page 4
Course Calendar
Date Subject ..............................Readings
January
18, 20 Introduction and Syllabus
23
“Motivational Complex”.....Azar Gat, Part I (web site)
Class Preparation: Azar Gat proposes an evolutionary explanation for human fighting. One of the
criticisms of Gat is that he confuses fighting (general violence) and war. (See Johan M. G. van der
Denen, “Three Works on War,” http://www.jstor.org/stable/40072928.) Are violence and war
distinct activities? Do Gat’s arguments lead you to believe that war can be explained as an
evolutionary adaptation to the competition for resources?
25
“Motivational Complex”.....Azar Gat, Part II
(Part II at http://www.jstor.org/stable/3317188; login with YCP account.)
Class Preparation: Azar Gat discusses the “proximate causes” of fighting among hunter-gatherers.
Give 2 or 3 examples of these causes as they are manifested between modern nation-states. Can we
expect that modern human beings, being rational and self-conscious of the existence of these
causes, be able to “escape” the “control” of these causes?
27
Religious Responses ...........“Daoist Gov’t” (web site)
.............................................“Readings from the Christian NT.doc” (web site)
Class Preparation: Can you imagine a world in which people are naturally good? Is the Daodejing
right when it claims that “The more prohibitions there are in the world, / the poorer [i.e., the worse
off] are the people”?
30
Religious Responses ...........“Readings from the Christian NT.doc” (web site)
Class Preparation: Was Jesus being literal or ironic? Is it possible for Christian and/or humans to
be “perfect”? Based on these texts, are Christians required to be pacifists?
February
1
Religious Responses ...........“Readings from the Christian NT.doc”; Christopher, pp. 19-21
Class Preparation: Christopher (p. 21), quotes Anscombe: passages from the Christian NT “do not
at all preclude the use of force as a legitimate means for administering justice.” Do you agree? (In
all such questions, the issue is not whether you agree with Christianity, but the intellectual
coherence/consistency of Christian beliefs and practices.)
3
“The Causes of War” ..........Blainey, pp. 291-295
Class Preparation: Is war ever rational? (This is not the same thing as “right”.)
6
Cicero & Anselm ................Christopher, chs. 1-2
Class Preparation: Cicero created the first standards for a “just war” (p. 12). Was he genuinely
concerned with justice, or merely with “justifying” war? Is there a difference?
8
Cicero & Anselm ................Christopher, chs. 1-2
Class Preparation: Was Ambrose right when he said that a Christian is required “to contribute to
the peace and justice of the community (p. 26)?”
10
Cicero & Anselm ................Christopher, chs. 1-2;
Report #1 Due February 10
PHL 343.101 (“Peace and Conflict”) Spring 2012
13
page 5
Augustine ............................Christopher, ch. 3;
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf102.htm (City of God, Bk. 19: Chaps. 11-end)
Class Preparation: Augustine justifies Christian involvement in the wider community by saying
that both Christians and non-Christians desire peace. Is the word “peace” as applied to what
Christians want, and what non-Christians want, the same “thing,” or at least, part of the same
“continuum”? Does contributing to the “temporal” (non-Christian) peace also contribute to
“eternal” (Christian) peace?
15
Augustine ............................Christopher, ch. 3;
http://www.ccel.org/ccel/schaff/npnf102.htm (City of God, Bk. 19: Chaps. 11-end)
Class Preparation: Christopher, p. 43, “Topics for further Discussion,” #5.
17
Aquinas ...............................Christopher, ch. 4 (through p. 53);
http://ethics.sandiego.edu/Books/Texts/Aquinas/JustWar.html : “Whether it is always sinful
to wage war?”
Class Preparation: At the beginning of the reading, Aquinas states three objections against
“waging war”. Summarize his answers to those objections (“Reply to Objection 1,…2…3”).
20
Aquinas ...............................Christopher, ch. 4 (through p. 53); & Aquinas text linked above
Class Preparation: Identify and explain in your own words the “three things [that] are necessary”
“for a war to be just”.
22
Aquinas ...............................Christopher, ch. 4 (through p. 53); & Aquinas text linked above
Class Preparation: Are you convinced that Aquinas’ position “rests entirely on secular premises
(Christopher, p. 50)?” Is he “smuggling in” Christian assumptions? Or, on the other hand, is a
Christian bound by the moral standards developed by his just war analysis?
24
Report #2 Due; Makeup or Study Time
March
5
Vitoria, “Double Effect” .....Christopher, ch. 4: pp. 53-60
Class Preparation: State in your own words the position of “double effect”. Are you convinced by
Vitoria’s formulation of this principle?
7
Vitoria, “Double Effect” .....Christopher, ch. 4: pp. 53-60
Class Preparation: Christopher, pp. 60-1, “Topics for Further Discussion,” #6.
9
Grotius.................................Christopher, ch. 5;
Class Preparation: Christopher, p. 77, “Topics for Further Discussion,” #5.
12
Grotius.................................Christopher, ch. 5;
Essay #1 Due March 12
14
“Just War” Theory ..............Christopher, ch. 6; White, “Ch. 1: “Just War Principles”
Class Preparation: Is there ever a time that a community or people ought to accept death or
annihilation rather than defeat? (See further Christopher, p. 99, #6.)
16
“Just War” Theory ..............Christopher, ch. 6; White, ch. 1, “Just War Principles”
Class Preparation: Does the war in Afghanistan satisfy the just war principles?
19
Kant, “Perpetual Peace” ......“Perpetual Peace” (web site)
Class Preparation: Identify 3 of “The Preliminary Articles For Perpetual Peace Among States,”
PHL 343.101 (“Peace and Conflict”) Spring 2012
page 6
(in Section 1) and explain in your own words why Kant thought these principles were essential to
“perpetual peace.”
21
Kant, “Perpetual Peace” ......“Perpetual Peace” (web site)
Class Preparation: Kant says, under the “First Supplement,” that “The problem of organizing a
state, however hard it may seem, can be solved even for a race of devils, if only they are
intelligent.” Will evil beings, assuming they are also intelligent (i.e., have rationality) be able to
organize a good state?
23
International Law ................“IntlLawAsLanguageForIntlRelations” (web site)
Class Preparation: Hisashi Owada, in “Justice and Stability in the International Order,” (p. 26)
distinguishes between a “concept of justice as defined in terms of international society,” and a
“concept of justice as defined in terms of global society.” What does he mean by these two different
concepts of justice? Identify an example of each. How are they different? Do you think it is
possible to harmonize them? i.e., is a global justice possible?
26
International Law ................“Law of Nations” (web site)
Class Preparation: Anne-Marie Slaughter is restated by Berkowitz as follows: “global networks
do not present the danger to individual rights posed by a powerful centralized government; and …
the people of each state can hold government officials accountable for the decisions they make as
part of global networks.” Discuss and evaluate. Do you agree or disagree?
28
The United Nations .............Christopher, ch. 15
Class Preparation: Is “humanitarian intervention” a moral reason to go to war? Is it justifiable
from a pragmatic or utilitarian perspective? Should one nation expend its wealth and the lives of its
soldiers to prevent or end humanitarian catastrophes?
30
The United Nations .............Christopher, ch. 15
Class Preparation: A popular phrase in the international community is “crimes against humanity.”
Do such crimes exist (take place)? Are they against humanity, or a particular group of people? Who
decides that such crimes have taken place? Who punishes them?
April
2
The United Nations .............Christopher, ch. 15
Class Preparation: On p. 251, Christopher says that “Either it [humanitarian intervention] must be
obligatory as a collective action or permissible as a unilateral (or regional) one.” Explain how he
reaches this conclusion. Do you agree with him?
4
Historical Introduction to Pacifism
Class Preparation: Find and read the definitions of “Pacifism” and “Pacifist” in the Supplement to
the Oxford English Dictionary. (There’s a copy in the cross-hallway of the English & Humanities
Dept.) Pay special attention to the quotations used to characterize the meaning of the words.
Describe 3 or 4 characteristics that appear to be essential to the idea. Describe you initial reaction to
this concept of pacifism. Do you like or dislike it? Why?
11
Historical Introduction to Pacifism
Report #3 Due April 11
13
Types of Pacifism ...............White, ch. 1, “Pacifism”
Class Preparation: Is life (you decide if this means “human life” or “all life”) sacred? Why or why
not? Can a version of pacifism be grounded in the “sacredness of life”?
PHL 343.101 (“Peace and Conflict”) Spring 2012
16
page 7
Types of Pacifism ...............White, ch. 1, “Pacifism”
Class Preparation: Under “5. AntiWar Pacifism”…(b) “The Killing of Civilians,” Lackey
describes hypothetical non-pacifist arguments using speed limits and vaccinations. What point is
Lackey trying to make with these arguments? Why does he think the anti-war pacifist will reject
them? Do you agree with the non-pacifist’s or the pacifist’s interpretation, and why?
18
Types of Pacifism ...............White, ch. 1, “Pacifism”
Class Preparation: The Civil War came about as a result of the institution of slavery in the
southern states, and the aspiration of those states to extend slavery. The victory of the Union
resulted in the end of slavery in the USA. Does this example disprove Lackey’s arguments in favor
of pacifism?
20
Peace and Terrorism ...........White, ch. 1, “The Slippery Slope to Preventive War”
Class Preparation: At footnote 4, Crawford quotes Donald Rumsfeld: “the only way to deal with
the terrorist network is to take the battle to them. … That is in effect self-defense of a preemptive
nature.” Do you agree with Rumsfeld that this sort of “self-defense of a preemptive nature” is
necessary against terrorism? Is this the same sort of warfare as Crawford’s? Is Crawford arguing
against what Rumsfeld is arguing for?
23
Peace and Terrorism ...........White, ch. 1, “The Slippery Slope to Preventive War”
Class Preparation: Identify the “four necessary conditions” that Crawford lists for “legitimate
preemption.” Do you agree that these conditions are necessary? Are they sufficient (are they all one
needs)? How likely is it that they can be met?
25
Peace and Terrorism ...........White, ch. 1, “The Terrorist’s Tacit Message”
Class Preparation: Calhoun says, “Terrorists are people who threaten or deploy deadly force for
causes of which we do not approve.” Do you agree? What is your interpretation of terrorism? Is it
distinct from war, whether “just” or “unjust”?
27
Peace and Terrorism ...........White, ch. 1, “The Terrorist’s Tacit Message”
Class Preparation: Calhoun believes that “just war” arguments can be used by terrorists as well as
by a “legitimate” government. Do you agree? Are there strictures of just war theory that specifically
apply to terrorism in a way or to an extent that they do not apply warfare between states?
30
Peace and Terrorism ..........White, ch. 1, “What is Wrong with Terrorism”
Class Preparation: Nagel thinks there is a “huge difference” between being deliberately killed by
a terrorist and being killed as the side effect of an attack on a military target. But in both cases a
harmless person is killed. Is there really such a huge difference? What is your view?
May
2
Peace and Terrorism ...........White, ch. 1, “What is Wrong with Terrorism”
Report #4 Due May 2; Essay #2 due date of Final Exam.