The Ethics of War in Asian Civilizations: A Comparative Perspective

by Torkel Brekke (Editor)

This book explores how issues of ethics in war and warfare have been treated by major ethical traditions of Asia. It opens a discussion about whether there are universal standards in the ideologies of warfare between the major religious traditions of the world. While the chapters are written by specialists in Asian cultures, some of the conceptual apparatus is drawn from the scholarly discourse on just war, developed in the study of the ethical tradition of Christianity. Taking a comparative approach, the book looks at six different Asian religious, philosophical and political Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Buddhism, China and Japan; and is organized according to geography. This innovative approach opens a new field of research on war and ideology, and extends the debate on modern warfare, universalism and human rights.

Genres: Philosophy

18 pages, Hardcover

First published September 21, 2005

Reviews

[Joe · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book explores how major Asian ethical traditions treat issues of ethics in war, peace, and the conduct of warfare. The discussion considers whether there are universal standards in the ideologies of warfare among different religious traditions, with the concept of just war at the core of the argument. Brekke’s intent is to open the academic study of the ethics of war beyond a Eurocentric focus to consider Asian religious traditions, philosophies, and political interpretations. Similar to other compilations, this text is best served as a complementary aspect to a larger project on comparative war and peace, as each chapter examines only specific case studies or historical traditions. The most disappointing aspect of this book is that almost none of the authors make any effort to consider the practical application of the theory, focused solely on a comparative theoretical analysis.