Vann Center for Ethics
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“ 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

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

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

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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)

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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

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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

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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

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