{"product_id":"war-pacifism-and-deterrence","title":"War, Pacifism, and Deterrence","description":"\u003cp\u003eIn our troubled times of global conflict, philosophical reflection on war and peace has never been more urgent. This distinctive contribution to the ethics of war combines pragmatism with Kantian-inspired transcendental philosophy to offer fresh insights into age-old questions of when, if ever, war can be ethically acceptable.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eSami Pihlström argues that both traditional just war theory and pacifism function as forms of \u003ci\u003e\"secular theodicy\"\u003c\/i\u003e, which justify innocent suffering for supposed greater goods. Moving beyond these approaches, he develops a meliorist framework that refuses both naive optimism and fatalistic pessimism about human conflict. The book examines three critical areas: the problem of sacrificing innocents in war, the ethics of nuclear deterrence in our post-World War II world, and the philosophy of history that shapes how we understand ourselves as a political community. Central to this analysis is the concept of defending the \u003ci\u003e\"transcendental 'us'\"\u003c\/i\u003e—not merely a contingent nation-state, but the very conditions that make ethical and political community possible. Drawing on thinkers from William James to Raimond Gaita, this work offers a philosophically rigorous yet accessible exploration of what it means to defend civilization itself against existential threats, ensuring that those who die in such defense \"shall not have died in vain.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003ci\u003eWar, Pacifism, and Deterrence \u003c\/i\u003ewill appeal to researchers and graduate students interested in the philosophy of war and peace, pragmatism, and transcendental philosophy.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Taylor \u0026 Francis Ltd","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":57258271736152,"sku":"9781041291787","price":68.99,"currency_code":"EUR","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0278\/1295\/4195\/files\/9781041291787.jpg?v=1781037918","url":"https:\/\/agendabookshop.com\/products\/war-pacifism-and-deterrence","provider":"Agenda Bookshop","version":"1.0","type":"link"}